A two-storey building under construction in the Ikota area of Ajah, Lagos has collapsed on Tues leaving an unknown number of people trapped beneath the rubble. The tragic incident occurred at Mega Mall Estate, Mobile Road, Inikpa Villa, Ikota, sending shockwaves through the community as rescue efforts intensified late into the night.

Emergency responders, including teams from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), rushed to the scene, desperately working to pull out survivors. While the exact number of casualties remains unclear, officials fear that more people may still be buried under the debris.

“Information indicates that more people are likely trapped in the rubble. Search and rescue operation is ongoing,” said Ibrahim Farinloye, Lagos Office Coordinator of NEMA. “An investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the collapse.”

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Videos circulating on social media show frantic attempts to clear the wreckage, with onlookers crying out in distress as rescuers dig through the ruins. The fate of the trapped individuals remains uncertain, and every passing minute is critical.

For many residents of Ikota, the collapse has revived painful memories of past building failures in Lagos—a city that has struggled with poor construction standards, regulatory lapses, and illegal developments.

This latest disaster adds to a long list of building collapses in Lagos, where substandard materials, weak regulations, and structural defects have often been blamed. Just last year, multiple collapses claimed lives, despite government promises to crack down on unsafe constructions.