By Olasunkanmi Akoni, Monsuru Olowoopejo & Esther Onyegbula

lagos—Following the building collapse in Lekki area of Lagos that claimed the lives of 34 persons, the Lagos state police command has arrested the Richard Nyong, MD Lekki Gardens.

Scenes from the scene of the collapsed building at Kusenla road, Ikate, Elegushi, Lekki, Lagos,

It was gathered that Richard Nyong was arrested yesterday following issues around the collapse.

Governor Akinwumi Ambode on Wednesday during the State’s Executive Council meeting gave a 24-hour ultimatum to all directors of Lekki Worldwide Estate Limited, owners of the collapsed building to submit themselves to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, for interrogation.

Confirming the arrest, the Lagos state Police Public Relations Officer,  Superintendent of Police Dolapo Badmus said; ‘’Mr Richard Nyong of 167, Kushenla road Ikate Elegushi, has been arrested. He is in custody and will  soon be charged to court.”

Meantime, the Lagos state government, yesterday, said it gave an approval for a four-storey building to Lekki Worldwide Estate, owners of the collapsed five-storey building under construction, which killed 34 and injured 13 construction workers.

The clarification came 24 hours after the completion of the search and rescue operation at the site of the collapsed building which had been marked, a ‘crime scene’ by the state government.

Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Abdul-lateef Abdul-hakeem, who made the clarification during a courtesy visit by members of Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society, NASFAT, to his office, lamented that the owners of the structure erected the buildings against the approval issued by the government.

Families storm morgues, hospitals to claim corpse

Families of the victims, who died at the collapsed five-storey building site, yesterday stormed the Lagos State University Hospital, LASUTH and Mainland Hospital Mortuaries, Yaba to claim their corpses.

Meantime, relatives of the 12 survivors were also at the General Hospital (Odan) Marina, Lagos Island to visit their relatives who survive the collapsed building.

Vanguard gathered that it was mixed feelings for the relatives who stormed the health facilities and the mortuaries at the early hours of the day.

While families of the deceased were tossed around, some families of the survivors  had opportunities of meeting their loved ones.

Efforts to speak to the survivors proved abortive but a medical official at the General Hospital (Odan) Marina, who does not want his name in print told Vanguard that some of the survivors still await their relatives.

He added that the hospital decided to continue with the treatment pending when their relatives would show up.

We have not been able to claim our corpse — relatives

In an interview with Vanguard, Mr. Bamgboye Olalekan, a brother to two of the deceased, Sunday and Wasiu, both artisans lamented; “We have not been able to claim our corpses. Infact, I am tired of the process. I led other members of the family to the morgue in Yaba. But it was pathetic that we were asked to visit LASUTH morgue.

”At the LASUTH morgue, we were also redirected to visit the Yaba morgue. That was how we have been tossed around.”