A statement by the president’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, on Monday in Abuja, said President Buhari shared the sad moment with people and Government of Lagos State, urging authorities to step up efforts in rescue operations.
He called on emergency institutions, including hospitals, to provide all the necessary support to safeguard the lives of the rescued.
The President prayed for God’s intervention in the ongoing rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki, had earlier said that the owner of the collapsed 21-storey building, under construction in Ikoyi, was given approval to construct only 15 floors.
“He got an approval for a 15-storey building and he exceeded his limit. I am on ground here and the materials he used are so inferior and terrible.
“The materials he used, the reinforcement, are so terrible. He got approval for 15 floors but built 21.
“I think he has been locked down. He has been arrested before now,” he said.
At least 50 people are reportedly trapped under the rubble after a 21-storey building collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos State.
The building, located at 20, Gerrard Road, collapsed at about 3 p.m. on Monday.