By Akinwale Kasali

Contrary to news making the rounds that the owner of the collapsed Skyscraper at Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Olufemi Adegoke Osibona is trapped in the rubbles of the collapsed building, he is under arrest.

He was arrested by the Lagos State Government and Law Enforcement Officers and would be prosecuted for not yielding to the warnings by the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA.

The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Gbolahan Oki, made the disclosure of the arrest of Osibona, stressing that the owner was given approval to construct only 15 floors.

“The materials he used for the reinforcement are so terrible. He got approval for 15 floors but built 21. He has been arrested,” he said.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, the Fire Service and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, have intensified rescue mission to save some still trapped in the rubbles.

The official added that so far, four people have been rescued alive and five bodies recovered. Rescue efforts are continuing.

Osibona is the Managing Director of Fourscore Homes and Investment Limited. He is the developer of the massive project dubbed: 360 Degrees Towers on 44 BCD Gerrard Road, Ikoyi. The project represents three fine pieces of high-rise and real estate.

He is also the elder brother of Lanre Osibona, a Special Assistant to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

The businessman was said to have distinguished himself in real estate with landmark buildings in London and South Africa.

He was the first African to build a 7-storey building on 113, Albion Drive, London Fields, E8, 4LZ

Osibona had his education in the United Kingdome where he read Business and Finance at the Croydon University.

Osibona’s company, Fourscore Homes is a member of the NHBRC (National Home Builders Registration Council) in South Africa and Zurich Building Guarantee in Europe, as part of the company’s presence overseas and specialises in the building of choice properties in different parts of the world.

Osibona’s company began its foray into real estate in the United Kingdom before branching out to South Africa and later Nigeria.

In 2009, when Brig-General Buba Marwa (rtd) was the Nigerian High Commissioner in South Africa, Fourscore Homes built six luxury units called Fourscore Mansions in Waterkloof, a very expensive neighbourhood in Pretoria.

The property called Fourscore Mansion is located at 113, Albion Drive London Fields, E8, 4LZ, East London.

Not only that, he was the first black developer of African origin to build other projects in the UK.

The company’s real estate business started in Hackney, London in 1997. He is  aged about 50 years.

By Adesina Soyooye

An inkling has been given into why a 20-floor storey building collapsed in the afternoon of Monday, November 1, 2021, killing and injuring yet to be ascertained number of people.

The building, located on Gerard Street, Ikoyi, meant to add more beauty to the Lagos skyline apparently collapsed because its structure was defective.

Perhaps, it couldn’t have been so if the developer, Fourscore Height Limited, had adhered to the professional advice of Structural Consultants, Prowess Engineering Ltd.

In a letter dated 20th February, 2020, the Structural Consultants withdrew their services from the project because they were no longer comfortable with how it was being executed. “We arrived at this decision due to the fact that we no longer share same vision with you as our client in terms of how the project is being executed.”

They said they guarantee the integrity of the first two towers, but could not guarantee that of the third one, from the fifth floor up.

It is the third tower that eventually collapsed.

The letter, addressed to Mr Femi Osibona of Fourscore Heights Limited, and signed by Muritala Olawale for Prowess Engineering Ltd, was titled: Re: Proposed Gerrard Terreces For Fourscore Limited It reads:

“This letter is to formally inform you of the withdrawal of our structural consultancy service from the above named project. We arrived at this decision due to the fact that we no longer share same vision with you as our client in terms of how the project is being executed.

“We can guarantee the integrity of the first two buildings and also works done up to the fourth floor of the third building supervised by us provided specifications have been met in terms of the required concrete strength. This We do not have control over as we do not have the concrete  cube test results for each stage of the building till date. Also, note that we are not taking responsibility for any other construction errors that may have occurred over time on the project.

“Furthermore, we request that our company’s name and logo be removed from the project board and also kindly notify all necessary approving authorities of our withdrawal from the project.

“We regret this decision and the lost opportunity to do business together. We look forward to future cooperation in other projects.

At the time of writing this, we were not able to confirm the new Structural Consultants, but unconfirmed reports say the Lagos State Government had, sometime, a year ago, sealed the project. Apparently, somebody unsealed it.

So far, according to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, four bodies have been recovered. Three injured persons have been rescued, and the speculation is that many are still trapped.

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered a probe into the tragic incident.