A 27-year-old man identified as Aliyu Salisu was rescued alive early Sunday morning after being trapped for nearly ten hours under the rubble of a collapsed three-storey building in the Lifecamp area of Abuja.
AFRIPOST reports that the incident occurred around 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, August 2, prompting an urgent response from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command and other emergency agencies.
According to the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the Divisional Police Officer of Lifecamp Division swiftly mobilised a rescue team to the site after receiving a distress call.
The area was cordoned off, and a coordinated rescue operation was launched in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), officials from the FCTA Development Control Department, Zeberced Construction Company, and Julius Berger Construction Company.
“Rescue teams worked tirelessly through the night and successfully pulled out the lone victim, Aliyu Salisu, at about 4:00 a.m. on August 3,” Adeh stated.
“He was immediately taken to Cedar Crest Hospital in Gudu for a comprehensive medical checkup and is currently responding to treatment.”
The victim, a citizen of the Niger Republic, was reportedly the only person inside the building at the time of the collapse.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ajao S. Adewale, was on ground throughout the operation and commended the swift and professional efforts of all the agencies involved.
He lauded “the timely response of NEMA, the FCTA Development Control, and other service commanders who mobilised their men and equipment in support of the rescue mission.”
The police urged residents of the FCT to remain alert and promptly report any emergencies or suspicious activities to the command through its emergency lines: 0803 200 3913 or 0806 158 1938.