Residents Alarmed Over Attempts To Patch Up Collapsed Section Of Five-Storey Building 

The Abuja sky is once again darkened by the shadow of an unsafe building. In Mabushi District, just behind RCCG Grace City and directly opposite the ANAN Secretariat on Ahmadu Bello Way, a five-storey structure partially collapsed in late July.

Ordinarily, a partial collapse of this scale should trigger immediate evacuation, demolition orders, and a criminal investigation into the developers and approving authorities. But in this case, residents allege that officials are patching up the structure — trying to cosmetically cover cracks and failures rather than address the danger by tearing it down.

“They’re doing dangerous engineering gymnastics,” one resident told SaharaReporters, pointing at scaffolding and workers attempting makeshift fixes. “It’s like painting lipstick on a corpse. Everybody can see this building is not safe.”

Another neighbor was even more blunt: “Making this public could save lives. Instead of demolishing the failed structure, they are trying to patch up the collapsed part. It poses great risk and danger to residents.”

The allegations have triggered a storm of questions about why the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Development Control Department has not ordered an immediate demolition. Even more worrying: locals insist the building is being protected because it is linked to a powerful individual with political connections.

On July 24, FCDA Development Control sealed off the structure, painting bold red letters on its walls declaring it unsafe. But weeks later, residents say construction crews have quietly returned, carrying out repairs instead of preparing for demolition.

The disobedience of the seal is not a small matter. Abuja’s development laws give FCDA the power to evacuate, demolish, and even prosecute developers who ignore safety orders. Yet here, the agency has maintained silence, raising fears of regulatory capture.

“It is a tragedy waiting to happen,” said one estate surveyor familiar with the case. “The building has already shown structural failure. To continue patching is criminal negligence. The only responsible solution is demolition.”

The Mabushi saga is not occurring in a vacuum. Abuja has a haunting history of building collapses that have killed hundreds over the years. Each disaster follows the same pattern: weak regulation, corruption, corner-cutting by developers, and government indifference.

• August 2018 – Jabi Mall Collapse: A three-storey building under construction in Jabi district came crashing down, killing at least 10 and injuring dozens. Investigations revealed poor materials and faulty design.
• February 2023 – Gwarinpa Tragedy: A three-storey building under construction in Gwarinpa Phase III collapsed, killing three workers. The FCDA later admitted the building lacked proper approval.
• July 2024 – Kubwa Residential Block: A residential block in Kubwa collapsed during heavy rains, leaving four people dead and several injured. Locals blamed substandard materials and corrupt inspections.
• Multiple Collapses in Nyanya, Lokogoma, and Karu over the past decade have underscored the same truth: Abuja’s development sector is rife with impunity.

Despite these tragedies, enforcement remains weak. Developers often cut deals with inspectors, paying bribes to bypass safety rules. And when deaths occur, victims are buried while investigations quietly fade away.

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The heart of the Mabushi crisis is political protection. Residents insist the property belongs to, or is sponsored by, a politically connected figure who has shielded it from demolition.

“Everywhere else in Abuja, when a structure collapses or shows failure, FCDA moves fast to demolish it,” one activist explained. “Here, they sealed it but allowed work to continue. That tells you somebody powerful is behind it.”

The culture of godfathers protecting unsafe projects is not new. In past collapses, committees were set up, reports written, and recommendations made — only for everything to be buried because the developers were linked to influential politicians, top civil servants, or security chiefs.

Independent structural engineers consulted by this blog confirmed that patching a partially collapsed multi-storey building is reckless.

“Concrete is not like clothing you can stitch,” said Engr. Musa Ibrahim, a structural consultant in Abuja. “When a building shows signs of structural failure, patching it only delays the inevitable. The load distribution is already compromised. It’s like putting a bandage on a cancer.”

Another expert added: “Repairing cosmetic cracks is one thing. But once a portion has collapsed, it means the foundation, steel, or beams are compromised. Such a building should be demolished without debate.”

The Mabushi case is a symbol of a larger crisis: Abuja is full of ticking time bombs. Thousands of buildings across the capital were constructed without proper soil tests, engineering approvals, or qualified supervision.

A 2022 FCDA internal report (never fully released to the public) reportedly identified over 1,200 illegal or unsafe structures across the FCT. Many are still occupied today.

“These are disasters in waiting,” said a civil society activist. “Until government grows the will to enforce its own laws, Abuja residents will continue living under the shadow of preventable deaths.”

For now, the Mabushi residents are appealing for urgent intervention before lives are lost. Their demand is simple: demolish the building and hold those responsible accountable.

But experience suggests otherwise. In past collapses, no developer was jailed, no senior FCDA official sacked, no minister resigned. Instead, families of victims were left with grief, while developers quietly resurfaced with new projects elsewhere in the city.

The silence of the FCT Minister and the Development Control Department on Mabushi has only deepened suspicion that money and connections are outweighing human lives.

Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, has faced similar collapses — including the 2021 Ikoyi high-rise disaster that killed over 40 people. After nationwide outrage, Lagos set up a tribunal, exposed corruption in the approval system, and promised reforms.

Yet even in Lagos, the culture of impunity lingers. The Abuja case shows the same disease: safety is optional when developers have connections.

Internationally, cities like Nairobi, Cairo, and Mumbai have fought similar battles. The difference is that in those cities, sustained public pressure has sometimes forced reforms. In Nigeria’s capital, outrage often fades before change occurs.

The Mabushi building is more than a cracked structure. It is a mirror of Nigeria’s governance failures. It reflects:

• Weak regulation undermined by corruption.
• Developers shielded by political power.
• Communities abandoned until tragedy strikes.

The question is whether Abuja’s citizens, civil society, and media will allow Mabushi to become another statistic — or use it as a rallying point to demand accountability.

As the workers continue their mysterious patch job on the Mabushi five-storey building, residents live in daily fear. Children walk past its walls. Cars drive by its shadow. Worshippers gather at RCCG Grace City nearby.

All it will take is one heavy rain, one vibration, or one engineering miscalculation — and Abuja could mourn again.

The choice before the authorities is stark: demolish now or wait for disaster.

But behind that choice lies a deeper national question: will Nigeria ever break the cycle of corruption, impunity, and preventable death in its building sector?

For Abuja, the answer may come sooner than anyone wants.