It was a big achievement. He was an electrician by training and planned to study Electrical Electronics at university, but it’s sad he is dead.
Saheed Akeredolu, relative of the owner of the collapsed building at Ota-Ona Ikorodu, tells GRACE EDEMA how he lost two children and an uncle during the incident
How old are you, and what is your occupation?
I’m 49 years old. I work as a bus driver for a private school.
How did your building collapse?
It was a normal day; all my three children and their mum were home. It was my son and my youngest daughter who were inside the new building. There is a small space inside the compound, and that is where we stayed to get the main building completed.So, I called my son to help me with some things, and he promised to come soon. I eventually fell asleep inside that small building. Later, he came and saw that I was already asleep, quietly took his phone, and called his younger sister so they could spend some time together in the unfinished building. Their mum, sister, and I were in the small building.
When the building collapsed it was the sound that woke the three of us up; we were in the old building. When we realised what had happened, we started looking for them. That was it.
What were the children doing in the building?
They had gone there to pray. Yes, they were praying at about 1 p.m. on that fateful day. It was while they were praying that the building collapsed. They went to pray in the uncompleted building because of how things are in the community. They usually preferred to go and pray at the mosque, but there is a curfew in our area. My son didn’t want to leave his younger sister behind. So, they all stayed there to pray together.
You talked about curfew; did you mean there was a traditional curfew in your area?
Yes. In our area, we call it Igemo; it is a traditional curfew where women are not allowed to go out. Women are expected to stay indoors.
How old were they?
My youngest daughter, Amira, was 13 and her elder brother was 18.
How many children do you have?
I had three. But now, I’m left with just one; she is 16 years old now.
How would you describe your children?
My son, Abdulmalik, was my firstborn. I worked closely with him. There are many reasons why I’m proud of them. For example, he did very well in his UTME. He scored 320. It was a big achievement. He was an electrician by training and planned to study Electrical Electronics at university, but it’s sad he is dead.