One Dead, Eight Rescued After Three-Storey Building Collapse in Ajegunle, Lagos

It was a quiet Thursday morning until chaos. At around 11:09 a.m., the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) received distress calls from the Ajegunle-Apapa area of Lagos. Their emergency response team arrived to find that a three-storey building with a penthouse, located at No. 28 Baale Alayabiagba Street in Alayabiagba Village, Ajegunle, had completely collapsed. saharareporters.com+2Vanguard News+2

What we know so far

• The building collapsed while work crews were reportedly performing manual demolition, according to eyewitness accounts. The Nation Newspaper+1

• Eight adult males were rescued alive, treated on-site by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) and then transported to Ajeromi General Hospital. 

• One adult male was found dead under the rubble. 

• Emergency response units involved included LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) and the Nigeria Police Force. 

• The exact cause of the collapse is still under investigation. 

There are a few things worth reflecting on (and they might sound obvious, but they matter).

• A building undergoing demolition collapsing indicates either unsafe demolition practice or structural fragility or both. Manual demolition is inherently riskier when proper safeguards aren’t in place.

• It happened in a densely populated Lagos district, Ajegunle is known for tightly packed housing and heavy usage of older structures. That raises the stakes: one collapse here can cascade into serious disaster.

• The rescue of eight people alive is good news, but the death of one person reminds us that every minute counts on such sites, and the margin for error is very small.

• The involvement of multiple emergency agencies suggests the scale of response needed, and perhaps, that policing and regulation of building work is still catching up.

What to ask:

• Was the demolition properly sanctioned by LASBCA or relevant authorities? Were the safety protocols followed (e.g., structural assessment, removal of occupants, protective gear)?

• If manual demolition was underway, what emergency risk-mitigation was in place (e.g., exclusion zones, structural shoring, monitoring of adjacent structures)?

• How old was the building and what was its condition prior to demolition? Was it formally assessed for structural integrity?

• What recourse do the rescued occupants and the family of the deceased have, in terms of compensation, investigation, or enforcement of standards?

• What can locals (residents, workers, nearby businesses) do to protect themselves when demolition work is happening near them? Awareness, evacuation protocols, neighbor-watch, these matter.

In practical terms:

• Local residents may need to be more cautious around demolition sites, hearing/observing heavy work, placing distance between themselves and structure-risk, reporting unsafe practices.

• For builders, investors and regulators: this is a reminder that demolition is not just tearing down walls. It’s a controlled process that often needs engineering supervision, regulatory oversight and worker protections.

• For policy: Lagos has had repeated incidents of building collapses in recent years (including residential, school, high-rise). Each incident is an opportunity to review enforcement, contractor licensing, building-control inspections and worker safety training.

• For your readership (especially if your blog covers infrastructure, urban risk or Nigeria): this event adds a living example of how urban risk dynamics play out, old buildings, informal work, large populations, regulatory gaps.