A devastating building collapse has rocked Idumoza Community in Uromi, located in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, claiming the life of Andrew Isesere, the owner of the hotel under construction.
According to local reports, the structure caved in last Friday while Mr. Isesere was on-site. After a tense search-and-rescue effort, his body was recovered from the rubble on Sunday morning, leaving the community in mourning. More than 20 construction workers narrowly escaped with their lives, as they had been working on various parts of the building when the incident occurred.
Eyewitnesses blamed the tragedy on the use of substandard building materials and the absence of professional supervision. A neighbour, Andrew Inegbebor, revealed that the late Isesere had been repeatedly warned during construction.
“The owner was told that he was using low-quality materials. He used 12mm instead of 16mm rods for the pillars. There was no base basket at the pillars. Look at the result,” Inegbebor lamented.
He added that no certified engineer was involved throughout the construction process, as the late owner took full control of the building project and personally supervised it.
When contacted, Edo State Police Command spokesman, Moses Yamu, stated he had not yet been briefed on the matter.
The tragic incident has sparked renewed calls for stricter regulation and enforcement of building standards in Edo State and across Nigeria. Community members are urging the government to ensure only certified professionals handle construction projects to prevent further avoidable disasters.
