Three-storey building collapses in Abuja hours after FCTA closure

Three-storey building collapses in Abuja hours after FCTA closure

A three-storey commercial building has collapsed in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, just hours after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) sealed the premises and directed occupants to vacate the property.

The building collapsed on Monday evening, September 7, 2026, prompting an emergency response as authorities moved to determine whether anyone was trapped beneath the rubble.

The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) said it received a distress call at about 7:20 p.m. and immediately deployed emergency responders to the scene.

According to FEMD spokesperson Nkechi Isa, the FCTA’s Department of Development Control had earlier visited the property, sealed the building and instructed occupants to leave the premises.

The structure subsequently collapsed later that evening, raising concerns about its condition and the circumstances surrounding the incident.

FEMD said initial eyewitness accounts indicated that there were no casualties, although responders were still assessing the rubble to establish whether anyone could have been trapped inside.

The agency said the cause of the building collapse had not been established as of Monday night.

Personnel from the FCT Fire Service were deployed to the scene to assist with search and rescue operations, while three ambulances were positioned nearby in case medical assistance was required.

Emergency responders were also awaiting the arrival of an excavator to help clear the debris and facilitate a more comprehensive search of the collapsed structure.

The incident has drawn attention because the building was reportedly sealed by the FCTA earlier on the same day. Authorities had directed occupants to vacate the premises before the collapse occurred.

READ ALSO:

• El-Rufai Demands ₦10bn from Defence Minister Over Southern Kaduna Killings Allegation
• Okonkwo Mocks Obi Over Attendance at Makinde’s APM Campaign Office Launch
• No US Case Against Tinubu, Family Enjoy Unimpeded Transit for UNGA — Ambassador Ibrahim

The FCT Police Command also responded to the incident, with security personnel joining emergency agencies in securing the area and supporting the rescue operation.

Members of the public were urged to stay away from the location to avoid interfering with emergency operations and to allow responders and security personnel unhindered access to the site.

The Wuse Zone 4 incident is the latest in a series of building collapses in Abuja, renewing concerns over structural safety, construction standards and compliance with regulatory directives in the Federal Capital Territory.

The collapse occurred less than two weeks after another building came down in Kubwa, Abuja.

On August 28, 2026, FEMD reported the collapse of a one-storey residential building comprising six blocks of flats at Kubwa 2/2, near Yellow Page.

Two residents who were trapped inside a ground-floor apartment were rescued following that incident and taken to Kubwa General Hospital, where they were reportedly in stable condition.

The latest collapse is expected to prompt further questions about the safety of buildings in the capital and the effectiveness of enforcement measures when authorities identify structures considered unsafe.

Investigations are expected to determine the condition of the Wuse building before its collapse, why the premises had been sealed and whether any factors contributed to the structural failure.

As of the latest update, no casualty had been officially confirmed, while search and rescue efforts continued at the scene.

Three-storey building collapses in Abuja hours after FCTA closure