ABUJA, Nigeria — Emergency workers searched through the rubble of a collapsed building in Nigeria’s capital early Tuesday after authorities said the structure had previously been marked and sealed over safety concerns, raising fresh questions about building-code enforcement in Abuja.
The building collapsed Monday evening on Abidjan Street in Wuse Zone 3. The Federal Capital Territory Police Command said it received a distress call at about 7:45 p.m. and immediately sent officers to the scene. Personnel from the National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency and the Federal Capital Territory Administration joined the operation.
Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said preliminary findings showed that the property had already been identified by the Department of Development Control. “Preliminary investigations revealed that the building has earlier been marked and sealed,” Adeh said.
Some local reports said occupants had been ordered to leave the structure earlier Monday, shortly before it collapsed. Authorities had not publicly released detailed information Tuesday explaining when the evacuation order was issued, why the building was considered unsafe or whether everyone had complied with the notice.
No deaths or injuries had been officially confirmed in the police’s initial statement. Search teams continued checking the debris for anyone who might have been trapped. Adeh said authorities were also investigating the circumstances and possible cause of the collapse.
The incident comes amid continuing concern about structural failures in Abuja and other rapidly expanding Nigerian cities. In April, a two-story building under construction collapsed in the Jikwoyi area of the capital, injuring workers and prompting Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike to order action against the developer. Another collapse in the Durumi area in May killed at least five people, according to local reports.
Building collapses have long posed a safety challenge in Nigeria, where investigators frequently examine whether structures complied with approved designs, used proper construction materials and received adequate professional supervision. Rapid urban growth has increased pressure on regulators to identify unsafe structures before they become deadly.
The latest collapse is particularly significant because officials had apparently acted before the structure failed. That is likely to focus attention not only on why the building became unsafe but also on what happened after it was sealed and whether authorities had sufficient power to keep people away from buildings considered dangerous.
Police asked residents to avoid the area while rescue teams worked and said further information would be released as the investigation progressed. As of early Tuesday, officials had not announced a final casualty count or publicly identified the owner or developer of the property.
