I gave occupants of collapsed Ebute-Metta building quit notice, says landlord

…death toll now eight

The son of the owner of the collapsed three-storey building in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos State on Monday said the tenants had been given quit notice before the disaster struck.

The landlord’s son, who was in charge of the building told emergency responders that the occupants were asked to leave when he discovered signs of visible distress on the building.

According to him, he was also living in the building but had to packed out to rent an apartment within the same area, adding that other occupants failed to heed his quit order.

He also disclosed that he stopped collecting rents from the tenants after the quit notice since he was expecting them to move out.

Meanwhile, death toll from the collapsed building has risen to eight, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The Zonal Coordinator South-West, NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, disclosed that the deceased persons included five males and three females, adding that 23 people were rescued alive.

He noted that rescue operations were ongoing at the site of the incident in search of occupants trapped under the rubble.