Abdulmalik Akeredolu, 18, who recently scored 320 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), was among three people killed when a building in Ikorodu area of Lagos State collapsed and collapsed on them.
Abdulmalik had aspirations of becoming an electrical engineer. After performing well in his UTME exam, he earned admission offers from both University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Lagos State University (LASU) to study Electrical Electronics Engineering – promising him an exciting future ahead. Additionally, his father had already started making arrangements to support him financially throughout his studies.
Dreams were dashed upon the night of the incident.
Saheed Akeredolu, who works as a school bus driver in Ikorodu, says the collapse occurred suddenly and unexpectedly in Sabo, Ikorodu, while under construction but already roofed. On that fateful day Abdulmalik Akeredolu (12), Amira (13), and their great uncle from Ikorodu who was 78 at the time were inside when it collapsed – they all succumbed instantly.
Saheed explained that his family was following local custom at the time, which necessitated them being in the building at that momentous hour. Abdulmalik and Amira had gone inside to pray; meanwhile their mother and another sibling remained elsewhere on the compound and managed to remain alive.
Saheed explained that his building had been approved by local authorities and constructed with standard materials; funding came from a family member abroad. Although Saheed expressed regret at their loss, there had been no warning signs or indications that its foundation was unstable; also noting there were no known structural defects prior to its collapse.
Emergency responders from the state emergency agency were quickly at the site to recover bodies trapped under debris, while investigations are currently underway to establish what caused its collapse.
Abdulmalik had become a symbol of hope for both his family and community; teachers had high expectations of him in terms of both academics and personal qualities.
Still emotional, his father appealed for support from government and concerned Nigerians after losing two of his children and an elderly relative in one day, leaving their family broken and devastated.
This tragedy has also reignited discussions regarding building safety, regulatory oversight, and the need for regular inspections–even on buildings still under construction but already inhabited by people.
