Abuja Building Collapse: FCT Minister Orders Arrest, Prosecution Of FHA Officials, Developer

FCT minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, has ordered security agencies to arrest the officials of the Federal Housing Authority who granted the development permit, and saddled with monitoring the development as well as the developer of the collapsed two-storey building in Abuja.

The coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Umar Shuaibu, who disclosed this to journalists during a briefing yesterday said that the minister also ordered the arrest of the engineer supervising the development, and all of them be charged for manslaughter of those that lost their lives in this building collapse incidence.

Shuaibu also explained that the uncompleted building that collapsed two days ago at 6th Avenue in Gwarimpa Estate, trapped 24 persons, with three confirmed dead while 21 people were rescued.

He said that preliminary findings suggested that there were breaches in the location, the building plan approval, the control and the monitoring of the development by the FHA, with glaring criminal tendencies by the developer, and or his representative during the construction activities.

“Also revealed was the glaring incapacity of the FHA to handle development control in Abuja and shoulder the responsibility of sensitive operations of this nature in cases of emergencies.

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“Consequently, the FCT administration will conduct a thorough investigation to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the incidence, and take an appropriate step towards prevention of future occurrence,” he said.

huaibu further said that among the statutory responsibilities of the FCTA is the development of the Federal Capital City (FCC) and territory, in line with the Abuja masterplan.

The coordinator stated that all the surrounding developments identified by the AMMC Development Control around the affected neighbouhood, that require investigation of their structural integrity, were henceforth sealed and declared out of bound by anybody, pending the outcome of the integrity test presently being conducted, that if found to be faulty, they are going to be demolished by the FCT administration before any life is endangered.