₦airaland Forum

Letter to the Editor: Deadly Incident at UNILAG Estate


Dear Sir/Madam,

Subject: Collapse of a Boundary Wall at UNILAG Estate, Magodo

I write to bring to your attention a deeply concerning incident that occurred on Thursday, 30th October 2025, at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Estate, Magodo, Lagos. The event, both tragic and avoidable, involved the collapse of the boundary wall of 16 Council Crescent, UNILAG Estate, due to apparent lapses in professional judgment by a development company during ongoing construction work on a new housing structure.

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on the said day, a tipper truck carrying five tons of red plaster sand parked dangerously close to the boundary wall of 16 Council Crescent. As the truck lifted its container box to discharge the sand, the immense weight and vibration caused the wall to buckle and collapse with a thunderous crash. The impact was so severe that debris was scattered across the neighboring residence at No. 18 Council Crescent, UNILAG Estate, Magodo.

I live a door away from 16 Council Crescent at No. 18 Council Crescent and narrowly escaped injury and possible death after stepping away from the site moments before the collapse. I had long held concerns about the unsafe construction practices at 16 Council Crescent, especially regarding the proximity of heavy-duty vehicles to the boundary wall.

The collapse of the wall has compromised my safety and privacy. I now face the danger of constant intrusion, as the fallen wall provides open access from the adjoining property to my house. When the wall fell into my premises, it damaged a major water tap and destroyed my mother's favorite trees. The rebuilding of the wall has been highly traumatic and energy-consuming since I have had to, on a daily—almost hourly—basis, speak to several members of the development company, from construction workers to foremen and engineers, about the need to repair the wall speedily. Despite my constant appeals, they responded at a snail’s pace or with vague promises. It took me calling the Chairman of UNILAG Estate, for him to put pressure on the workers to commence repairs of the wall. I had written a Letter of Undertaking for the foreman to sign in order to hold him accountable for the incident and for the repairs to be done. He refused to sign it, stating that his employer had not given him permission to do so.

I am grateful to the Chairman of UNILAG Estate because, without his pressure, the repairs would have been negligible. Due to the fall of the wall, a major water tap that was directly on the wall was destroyed, and water flowed endlessly since that tap did not have a lock. The foreman of the development company at 16 Council Crescent, UNILAG Estate, called in a plumber three days later who had only three years of experience. Despite his best efforts, he could not repair a broken water pipe, and his inexperience led to the wasting of water I had just pumped because he assured me he had completed the repairs. I was without water for four days until I called a more experienced plumber, whom I paid ₦10,000. With his 20 years of experience, he solved the problem by 90 percent.

Due to the nature of my job, which demands that I move around daily, I have had to sit at home morning, noon, and night since the incident occurred to protect my house and the properties in my vicinity. Sir, I would like to ask if the work of repairing the broken wall, plastering it, and repainting the damaged and restored section can be done with more haste since the wall plays a vital role in my security and that of my property. I have been completely grounded for one week. I am used to locking myself indoors with little distraction and going out to deliver jobs or get first-hand information about how my work is impacting my clients and their clients.

When I told the foreman I had paid my own plumber ₦10,000, he jokingly said, “Can’t I make a sacrifice?” It was a joke that did not sit well with me. Despite the plumber being paid over three working days ago, I am yet to receive reimbursement. I am very disappointed over the slow pace of reconstruction efforts. Despite 10 days passing since the collapse, the ten-meter section of the wall remains only partially repaired.

The last three days have been difficult to bear since the workers responsible for repairing the wall have totally downed tools in that regard and have dedicated themselves fully to working on the plastering of the newly constructed residential building at 16 Council Crescent. For the last three days, workers have worked from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at a ceaseless and feverish pace on the building and have done nothing to complete the wall. I have been extremely patient with the development company from when they started work at 16 Council Crescent, UNILAG Estate. When they tore down the building to erect the present structure, so much debris—from medium-sized to small pieces of cement and concrete—was ejected into my compound as they destroyed the first floor, which was higher than the boundary wall. For close to two to three weeks, I avoided walking around that side of my house but took another path. Despite the lack of professionalism in demolishing the house, I did not complain to anyone because I wanted to be a flexible neighbor. It was only when two large wooden board measuring 8ft by 1ft were thrown accidentally into my compound by tired or careless construction workers that I complained to a member of the development company. Despite his instructing workers to be more careful, a worker threw a wooden roof support into my compound accidentally. There has also been the case of wind blowing two large metallic roofing sheets into my premises.

Given the seriousness of this incident and the potential risks it poses to other residents, I humbly urge your esteemed newspaper to investigate the matter and bring it to public attention. It is my belief that responsible journalism can help hold those accountable and prompt relevant authorities to enforce proper safety standards within the estate and similar residential communities across Lagos. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I trust in your publication’s commitment to public safety and accountability.

Thank you very much for the time spent reading this.

Furthermore, I have deep concerns about the general safety standards within UNILAG Estate and other estates in Lagos or any residential area in Nigeria. I am alarmed and shocked about the use of fireworks and bangers in my estate and other estates in Lagos. I do not understand how any self-respecting estate can tolerate such dangerous practices, including the widespread use of fireworks and bangers, despite government bans and the fire hazards they pose. Residents often store cooking gas and petrol within their homes, and the combination of fireworks and flammable materials could easily lead to disaster at any time.

Nigerians love to flirt with danger, always saying ‘nothing will happen’ or ‘God forbid,’ but you cannot stand in the middle of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and say, ‘a truck won’t hit me.’ It takes very little for a fire to start, but far too much to stop one.

Magnetic010:
Pressure them...our leaders have been playing politics with lives of people.

When Obasanjo warned against Muslim Muslim Ticket they thought he was crazy. Perception is reality to people. Even if that perception is false.

press9jatv:
Finally this relationship is going to an end.

My father had a saying " When a Big Girl marries a small boy, it can never last ". I really cannot say if it applies here.
There was this Big Girl of age 25 in America who married a small boy of age 59. The marriage collapsed.,

ruggedtimi:
No be you been dey brag...u no fear dey threaten senator. You think say na U.S

They have succeeded to ridicule Ned Nwoko and diminish him in the eyes of the public. You think these internet gangsters are stupid ? The Nigerian youth are extremely dangerous and they will drag you under to score points. If they go to prison when they come out watch how their social media influence grows. Look at how VeryDarkMan is using the Nigerian Government to blow. Pity there was no social media when Fela was cruising the military government.... He would have a Billion Followers.

Abdul05:
When a monarch starts begging trump for military help..

It means it is.not about politics anymore...it is a cry of desperation..

See, if our military keeps sleeping, outsiders will gradly Wake us Up in their own way....and by then ..it won't be rescue..it will be control...

Machiavelli said " a ruler that does not rule his people well will have those people welcome another another ruler to push out that ruler ". Nigeria should have solved the problem along time ago. I'm not surprised a monarch will welcome America after all he must have welcomed the Nigerian Army before then.

Boss20:
Good one.

USA and Trump should deal decisively with all terrorist in Nigeria. Flush those bastards away once and for all.

Nigerian Government has pampered this killer Fulani herdsmen enough, how can a known terror negotiator and spokesman like Gumi be walking free?

Don't let the American government fool you. Why is it now the American government is concerned ? These killings are so old why did they not do it long ago ? A major reason is Nigeria rejected the plan for the American government to send it's deportees to, Nigeria, America is angry because Tinubu who I am not his fan said no. Look at Venezuela they also told America no in the past. Once you oppose America they will come for you. You guys are so ignorant it's amazing. The US government is using terrorism as a guise to mess up Nigeria like how they used " weapons of Mass Destruction " to Mess up Iraq. The Dangote Refinery has turned or upturned the global Oil game, so much so that some European refineries are going into extinction. If anyone allows America to fight Terrorism they will simply destroy Lagos with claims the terrorists have bases in Lagos. Trust America to your own detriment

In Unilag Estate Magodo for that matter, a Whole Unilag Estate Magodo boundary walls are falling because of house construction work that had nothing to do with the boundary wall. The entire thing is absurd

keepLagosclean4:
The Unthinkable Incident at UNILAG Estate: A Day to Remember

Thursday, 30th of October 2025, will forever be etched in the minds and hearts of residents of the University of Lagos Unilag Estate, as the unthinkable, unbelievable, and unimaginable occurred. A strange and bizarre incident took place when the boundary wall of 16 Council Crescent, Unilag Estate, was accidentally and comically broken due to lapses in professional judgment during the construction of a building.

At around 9:00 a.m. on October 30th, 2025, the boundary wall of 16 Council Crescent, Unilag Estate, Magodo Iseri Berger, Lagos, came tumbling down when a tipper truck carrying five tons of red plaster sand parked just inches away from the wall. The truck lifted its container box and began ejecting sand into the premises of 16 Council Crescent. Due to the unprofessional proximity of the tipper to the wall, the structure gave way with a loud snapping sound, followed by a massive crash. The impact was so powerful that debris from the fallen wall was found across the next residence, Number 18.

An eyewitness, a resident of Council Crescent who identified himself only as Mr. Tayo, shared his firsthand account of the incident and how he narrowly escaped injury and possible death just minutes after moving away from the wall.

“Every time I heard a tipper engine outside my house, I would step out to inspect how it was offloading its contents into 16 Council Crescent, Unilag Estate, Magodo. My concern stemmed from an internet company that had illegally run its cable wires on electricity poles, linking several poles together across the estate. This was dangerous because if one pole fell, it could pull down others with it.

As I watched the tipper offload sand, I heard a loud cracking sound as the weight of the sand pushed the wall in my direction. Then came more cracking sounds as nearby trees and a water tap close to the boundary wall also broke. When I looked in the direction of the fallen wall, all I saw was chaos—water from the broken tap gushing out and large slabs of concrete mixed with smaller debris scattered everywhere. I was in disbelief, yet I believed it because I had long been concerned about the tipper operating too close to the boundary wall. I had wanted to raise the issue earlier, even from the time demolition began for the new construction, but I chose to respect the professionalism and privacy of those working there.”

Mr. Tayo expressed his frustration over the incident, stating that it had consumed much of his energy and time. He lamented that he could no longer enjoy his privacy since the fallen wall allowed workers and others from 16 Council Crescent to have unrestricted access to his property. His tone revealed that he was a man who valued solitude and personal space, and the collapse of the boundary wall was a violation of both his privacy and security.

### UNILAG Estate: A Danger Community, Community at Risk

Mr. Tayo went on to lament that UNILAG Estate was not a safe place to live, particularly because of its tolerance for fireworks and bangers, which pose serious fire hazards.

“I find it extremely surprising that the estate tolerates and allows the use of bangers and fireworks. The Lagos State Government banned fireworks in the 1990s, yet many estates across Lagos still use them recklessly. It has gotten so bad that people now use fireworks in October to celebrate events meant for December and January. We live in homes worth millions of naira, where we store cooking gas and petrol—both highly flammable substances. Sparks from fireworks near gas or petrol could easily trigger a disaster.”

He called on the Lagos State Government to begin confiscating fireworks and bangers from shops selling them and urged estates to align with the state’s directive to ban them completely.

“Nigerians love to flirt with danger,” he said. “They always say ‘nothing will happen’ or ‘God forbid,’ but you cannot stand in the middle of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and say, ‘a truck won’t hit me.’ It takes very little for a fire to start but far too much to stop one.”

### Reconstruction Concerns

Speaking on the reconstruction of the broken boundary wall, Mr. Tayo added, “If you ask me, the reconstruction is way too slow. It’s been six days since the incident, and the damaged section is just about ten meters long. How long does it take to rebuild a ten-meter wall? I could have been killed by that collapse. They should fix it as quickly as possible so I can return to my life of peace, quiet, and privacy.”

Mr. Tayo complained due to the wall falling on the tap and breaking the tap, he had not had water for 5 days.

What a sad story. One has to be grateful there was no loss of life

These are scenes of the near fatal event that almost claimed the life of Mr. Tayo

The Unthinkable Incident at UNILAG Estate: A Day to Remember

Thursday, 30th of October 2025, will forever be etched in the minds and hearts of residents of the University of Lagos Unilag Estate, as the unthinkable, unbelievable, and unimaginable occurred. A strange and bizarre incident took place when the boundary wall of 16 Council Crescent, Unilag Estate, was accidentally and comically broken due to lapses in professional judgment during the construction of a building.

At around 9:00 a.m. on October 30th, 2025, the boundary wall of 16 Council Crescent, Unilag Estate, Magodo Iseri Berger, Lagos, came tumbling down when a tipper truck carrying five tons of red plaster sand parked just inches away from the wall. The truck lifted its container box and began ejecting sand into the premises of 16 Council Crescent. Due to the unprofessional proximity of the tipper to the wall, the structure gave way with a loud snapping sound, followed by a massive crash. The impact was so powerful that debris from the fallen wall was found across the next residence, Number 18.

An eyewitness, a resident of Council Crescent who identified himself only as Mr. Tayo, shared his firsthand account of the incident and how he narrowly escaped injury and possible death just minutes after moving away from the wall.

“Every time I heard a tipper engine outside my house, I would step out to inspect how it was offloading its contents into 16 Council Crescent, Unilag Estate, Magodo. My concern stemmed from an internet company that had illegally run its cable wires on electricity poles, linking several poles together across the estate. This was dangerous because if one pole fell, it could pull down others with it.

As I watched the tipper offload sand, I heard a loud cracking sound as the weight of the sand pushed the wall in my direction. Then came more cracking sounds as nearby trees and a water tap close to the boundary wall also broke. When I looked in the direction of the fallen wall, all I saw was chaos—water from the broken tap gushing out and large slabs of concrete mixed with smaller debris scattered everywhere. I was in disbelief, yet I believed it because I had long been concerned about the tipper operating too close to the boundary wall. I had wanted to raise the issue earlier, even from the time demolition began for the new construction, but I chose to respect the professionalism and privacy of those working there.”

Mr. Tayo expressed his frustration over the incident, stating that it had consumed much of his energy and time. He lamented that he could no longer enjoy his privacy since the fallen wall allowed workers and others from 16 Council Crescent to have unrestricted access to his property. His tone revealed that he was a man who valued solitude and personal space, and the collapse of the boundary wall was a violation of both his privacy and security.

### UNILAG Estate: A Danger Community, Community at Risk

Mr. Tayo went on to lament that UNILAG Estate was not a safe place to live, particularly because of its tolerance for fireworks and bangers, which pose serious fire hazards.

“I find it extremely surprising that the estate tolerates and allows the use of bangers and fireworks. The Lagos State Government banned fireworks in the 1990s, yet many estates across Lagos still use them recklessly. It has gotten so bad that people now use fireworks in October to celebrate events meant for December and January. We live in homes worth millions of naira, where we store cooking gas and petrol—both highly flammable substances. Sparks from fireworks near gas or petrol could easily trigger a disaster.”

He called on the Lagos State Government to begin confiscating fireworks and bangers from shops selling them and urged estates to align with the state’s directive to ban them completely.

“Nigerians love to flirt with danger,” he said. “They always say ‘nothing will happen’ or ‘God forbid,’ but you cannot stand in the middle of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and say, ‘a truck won’t hit me.’ It takes very little for a fire to start but far too much to stop one.”

### Reconstruction Concerns

Speaking on the reconstruction of the broken boundary wall, Mr. Tayo added, “If you ask me, the reconstruction is way too slow. It’s been six days since the incident, and the damaged section is just about ten meters long. How long does it take to rebuild a ten-meter wall? I could have been killed by that collapse. They should fix it as quickly as possible so I can return to my life of peace, quiet, and privacy.”

Mr. Tayo complained due to the wall falling on the tap and breaking the tap, he had not had water for 5 days.