A two-storey building under construction collapsed in Sokoto metropolis on Wednesday, but no lives were lost as workers and nearby residents had already evacuated the area after noticing signs that the structure was unstable.
The incident occurred around 2:00 p.m. along Bauchi Road and triggered a swift response from emergency agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Nigeria Police Force and the fire service.
One of the workers, carpenter Bello Shehu, said he had been working on the upper floor, fixing rafters for the roof, before coming down to observe afternoon prayers.
According to him, as workers prepared to leave the site, some people nearby noticed unusual movement in the building and immediately warned everyone to get out.
Shehu said everyone evacuated the building, which came crashing down about 15 minutes later.
«“It was nothing short of God’s mercy. If we had remained inside, the outcome could have been disastrous,” he said.»
The spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufae, confirmed the collapse, stating that no deaths or injuries were recorded.
NEMA’s Head of Operations for Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, Alhaji Tukur Abubakar, also confirmed the incident, saying emergency responders quickly secured the scene to prevent any further danger.
