Abuja building collapse: Wike sets up investigation, cites regulatory breaches

Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has ordered a full investigation into the collapse of a three-storey building in Abuja that claimed five lives and left 12 others injured.

The building, located behind Gudu Market in the Gudu District of Abuja, collapsed on Saturday morning while still under construction.

Wike, who visited the site on Monday, directed the Department of Development Control to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and confirmed that both the site engineer and the project developer would be held accountable as inquiries progress.

Describing the incident as “very pathetic”, the minister extended condolences to the families of victims and stressed the need for strict compliance with building regulations across the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the FCTA would set up a panel of experts to determine the cause of the collapse, adding that regulatory oversight was critical to preventing avoidable loss of lives.

“When you are constructing buildings of this nature, the lives of the people are very, very important,” Wike said. “We must know the quality of materials. What does the soil test allow? Can it support two or three floors? Will it allow for piling or a raft foundation? All these are key.”

He warned developers against bypassing approved building standards, noting that regulatory procedures are designed to ensure safety rather than hinder development.

Director of the Department of Development Control, Bashir Sanusi, said preliminary findings pointed to possible underground structural failure at the site.

According to him, a concealed, poorly backfilled well beneath the structure may have compromised the building’s foundation.

“Column C and D of the building were unfortunately placed directly on top of this hidden pit,” Sanusi said.

He added that while soil tests and building approvals had been obtained, subsurface anomalies such as filled wells are often difficult to detect during routine assessments.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said further investigations are ongoing.