By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Another major building collapse has been recorded in Anambra State, this time involving a one-storey commercial building housing eight shops at Ikenga, Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday night during a heavy downpour, affected a structure located along the Onitsha–Awka–Enugu Expressway near the Building Materials International Market, leaving it completely flattened and destroying goods worth several millions of naira.
Although the collapse caused significant material losses, no lives were lost as shop owners and traders had already closed for the day before the building gave way.
This is coming barely two weeks after another structural failure was recorded in the state, involving the collapse of a three-storey building under construction in Umuoma Village, Umuoji, also in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
Although, no life was lost, the Umuoji building collapse, which occurred on May 18th when workers were still working at the site, was blamed on the inferiority of the materials being used for the project and the speed with which the contractor was firing the project, which was said to be a hotel.
“How can you be putting blocks on top of the ones that have not yet dried? Meanwhile, the iron rods used are inferior and not meant for storey buildings like this,” a labourer had told reporters shortly after government officials sealed the premises of the collapsed building.
Meanwhile, while investigations were still ongoing into the incident, another collapse occurred at Ikenga Ogidi, within the same local government area.
Reacting to the latest incident, residents blamed the collapse on heavy erosion and flooding, even as government officials have also commenced investigations to determine the cause of the incident and whether proper building approvals and standards were followed.
The residents described a worsening environmental situation in the days leading to the incident, noting that the building had begun to tilt due to prolonged erosion and continuous rainfall.
Some eyewitnesses explained that the structure was located at a critical drainage convergence point along the expressway, where water channels from both sides of the road meet. According to them, the site lies at the termination point of an underground drainage system cutting across the Onitsha–Awka–Enugu highway.
They further alleged that blockage of natural water pathways contributed significantly to the collapse, as stormwater from both sides of the expressway and surrounding areas had nowhere to properly discharge.
One resident described the environmental pressure on the structure as unavoidable, noting that the combination of persistent rainfall, blocked drainage channels, and heavy runoff from the highway made the foundation increasingly unstable.
According to him, the area had long been identified as a flood-sensitive zone, especially during periods of intense rainfall, and the latest downpour only accelerated what many had feared.
Another eyewitness added that the building’s collapse was preceded by visible structural distress, including gradual leaning and soil weakening around its base due to continuous water flow.
Following the incident, residents called on the Anambra State Government and relevant federal authorities overseeing road infrastructure to intervene urgently, particularly regarding construction activities around drainage paths and water channels along major highways.
They warned that without proper environmental and engineering checks, similar incidents could continue to occur in the area.
Reports have it that government officials have already visited the site to assess the situation and prevent further risk to nearby structures.
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