51-year-old woman killed after 2 buildings collapse in Abeokuta

By Eric Patrick 


In separate incidents in Abeokuta, Ogun state, two 
buildings collapsed on Monday, March 13 with one killing a 51-year -old woman.

Modupe Bankole, a mother of three, reportedly died in Olomore area of the town when the concrete railings of
 the storey building collapsed on her.

In the second case, Media reports that a four-storey building 
in Leme community along Moshood Abiola Way, collapsed.

Modupe’s husband, Samuel Bankole, a teacher, told 
journalists the family had been living in the building in 
Olomore for over 12 years.

He said he was preparing his lesson note when the incident
happened adding that the owner of the building had died 
two and half years ago while the building was being
 managed by a caretaker.

He said: “My wife told me in the house that she was going 
to prepare food. After finishing the preparation, she came to me and took a small mat and a pillow and spread it out to 
take breeze.

She spread it even very far away from the collapsed 
decking. “I was preparing my own note of lesson that time. I told her that when I finished writing, I would join her there.

“When I finished, I came out. Few children were moving 
up and down there until suddenly a neighbour called them and sent them on errand.

“My last born came back from his place of apprenticeship 
and even slept beside the mother. He later left to see a friend.

“Shortly after, I just heard the sound of the collapsed 
decking over my head. I believed that since my wife was
 not directly under that thing, she was safe and I just ran outside and started shouting: ‘thank you Jesus’.”

He added that his wife died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

The permanent secretary of the ministry of Urban and Physical Planning, Yetunde Dina, who visited one of the scenes, said the state government would investigate the incidents and decide if to bring down the remaining part
 of the collapsed building.