Abuja building collapse survivors: ‘Church’s now home’; ‘I was with friend on first floor’

By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

Survivors of Wednesday night’s building collapse in Abuja have narrated their ordeals, calling on the government and good-spirited individuals for support.

One of them, Charity Amadi, a pregnant woman, said they lost all their belongings and are now squatting in a church.

Another, Abdulsalami Modibbo, said he was in his room on the first floor when the buiding came down.

On same first floor, Mr. Garba Nagoma was visiting a friend when the disaster happened.

FCTA steps in

Meanwhile, 31 of those rushed to various hospitals for medical attention have now been discharged after the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, wrote off their medical bills.

However, officials said four victims were still receiving treatment at various hospitals as at Saturday afternoon.

Officials of the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat had visited the four hospitals attending to the victims to ascertain the level of compliance with the Ministry of FCT directive to give them free treatment as well as the health conditions of the patients.

At the Asokoro General Hospital, where eight patients were taken, seven had been discharged and one, Abdulsalami Modibbo, still taking treatment.

The Chief Nursing Officer at the hospital, Mrs Aishatu Tenebe, confirmed the figures.

Survivors speak

Modibbo, who said he had not paid any amount for treatment following the minister’s declaration thanked him for the support, which he described as “life saving”, adding that health workers were taking good care of him.

He said: “I was in my room on the first floor when the building collapsed on Wednesday night. I was trying to help myself when a boulder fell on my leg, causing a fracture.

“I am happy with the prompt response of government agencies who evacuated us and took us to the hospital for treatment, and now they have offered to pay all our bills. I am truly grateful.”

Another victim Mr. Garba Nagoma, at Cedar Crest Hospital Gwarinpa, was elated when he learned that his hospital bills would be settled by the FCT minister.

Nagoma said his brother had already paid N500,000 to the hospital as initial deposit

“This is good news knowing that my bills would be paid by the government. I am really grateful for the support,” he said.

The victim said that he visited his friend who resides on the first floor of the building when it caved in.

“We were having a conversation when one of our friends alerted us that the building is about to collapse.

“We dashed to escape but we were late. The building collapsed on us while we were still on the first floor, and I survived with a fracture”, he added.