The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department says it recovered seven dead bodies of iron scavengers who invaded the site of a demolished building in Sabon Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja.
The Director of the department, Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed, who disclosed this to News Agency of Nigeria at the site on Sunday added that two other victims were receiving medical attention at the Federal Medical Centre.
According to him, the activities of over 500 iron scavengers who invaded the demolished building, pulling down and carting away iron rods, triggered the remains of the demolished slab to fall on them.
Mohammed, who said rescue operations had been completed at the site, debunked a report in some sections of the media that a multi-storey building collapsed in the suburb on Saturday with more than 40 trapped under the rubble.
He said the building was among the illegally erected uncompleted structures, demolished by the FCT Department of Development Control on Thursday.
“The scavengers invaded the site in a bid to get iron rods when the remaining part of the demolished structure caved in.
“Nobody is living in the building as claimed by reports.
“We were here last night and we are here today again. The Chairman of Miyetti Allah in the Abuja municipal was here with us and he confirmed that they lost five of their members in the incident.
“As you can see, nobody is fighting here as claimed by some people,” he said
Mohammed expressed his disappointment at the activities of the scavengers, who were still ravaging other demolished buildings despite the tragic incidence
“Right now as we speak, some of them are still up there scavenging iron rods, they have been asked to leave but they have refused to listen.
“We are going to ensure that they leave the site. By Monday, the Development Control will come around to ensure that the remaining buildings are brought down completely,’ he said.
A Police Officer at the site told NAN that the scavengers invaded the site after the Development Control Dept. had completed the demolition exercise.
The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity said the media report on collapsed multi-storey building trapping over 40 people was fake.
An eyewitness, Mr Aliyu Musa, said the iron scavengers were warned not to go into the building, but they refused to listen.
“I know one of the deceased, we warned him but he did not listen. He climbed the slab and started hitting the iron when it suddenly fell, and he died,” he said