The Oyo State Government has sealed off a partially collapsed building under construction in the Dugbe area of Ibadan.
The structure, reportedly being renovated for a branch of a popular restaurant chain, came down late Sunday evening. Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident.
The Commissioner for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo, led an on-the-spot assessment of the site on Monday morning. Speaking to journalists after the inspection, he said the building was sealed off to ensure public safety and allow for a thorough investigation into the cause of the collapse.
Akin-Funmilayo revealed that preliminary observations by government officials suggested that substandard materials may have been used in the construction. He emphasized that an integrity test will be carried out not only on the affected structure but also on other branches of the restaurant across Ibadan and the state.
“After seeing the extent of the collapse, we decided to seal off the building to prevent any potential loss of life,” he said. “Professionals from the Ministry of Works will conduct a full integrity test. Depending on the outcome, we will determine whether renovation can continue or if the building must be demolished entirely.”
The Commissioner also confirmed that the renovation project had received official design approval. However, he noted that the incident raised concerns about the quality of work being carried out by the engineers, especially since the same team is believed to have handled other outlets of the restaurant in Ibadan and other cities.
“If we find that those buildings also fail integrity tests, we will not hesitate to bring them down. The safety of our citizens is non-negotiable,” he added.
The state government is expected to release further updates following the completion of technical assessments.
