By The Lagos Territorial Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed that nine yet-to-be-identified ladies trapped when a storey building around Akinwunmi Street, Mende, in the Maryland area of Lagos State, sunk due to torrential rainfall, have been rescued.
In a statement, Farinloye said the agency’s officials were deployed to rescue the victims after receiving a distress call about the emergency.
He said, “NEMA received a distressed alert on a sinking storey building where nine people are said to be trapped. The building is located at 47 Akinwunmi street, Akinwunmi North Estate, Mende, Maryland, Ikeja.
“The torrential rainfall, which lasted for about four hours in the early hours of the day, flooded lots of communities in Lagos State. NEMA advance team upon close observations called for more reinforcement of personnel.”
Farinloye said while speaking with one of the trapped victims, one Blessing, she said they were up to nine people, mostly women, who were trapped when the building started sinking after being submerged.
He added, “The landlord of the building had used a ladder to escape, but NEMA questioned him for failure to contact emergency responders, but someone from one of the trapped victim’s offices contacted NEMA.
“The agencies on the ground now are LASEMA, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and Police Disaster Management Unit. The rescue activities have commenced, and all the nine trapped ladies have been successfully rescued.”
Meanwhile, two of the victims, Tosin Ademuyiwa and Blessing Uzokah, have appealed to Nigerians for support as they claimed that they have no place to go as they have spent all their income to renew their annual rent of N300,000.
Both victims said they rented a room self-contained each, where they paid N300,000 annual rent to their landlord.
Blessing said the rent was renewed in May, while Tosin said she was staying with her elder sister and daughter in the self-contained apartment which they occupied there for two years.
The victims said they have expended their savings to renew the rent and could not afford a dime to rent another accommodation.
Blessing, who works in Mushin area of Lagos, said she was afraid of losing her job.
“My mind is not settled at all, as I am yet to get a place to lay my head. I may lose my job if there is no accommodation and I don’t want this to happen.
“God please, save my life, my job and give me accommodation. I am hopeless right now,” she sobbed.
As for Tomisin, she said she was tired of the situation: “Our belongings are still in the building as we were advised to vacate it.
“We took three clothes along with us, but where can we lay out head? Nigerians should come to our aid,” she said.
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