Outrage As Mosque Collapse Allegedly Caused By Lagos Govt Kills Worshippers During Prayer

The collapse of Mutmoyinat Central Mosque on Ososo Street in the Mushin area of Lagos has sparked outrage.

Three individuals lost their lives, and seven others sustained injuries during the mosque’s collapse on Sunday.

According to an eyewitness, the tragedy occurred while Muslim worshippers were observing the Asr prayer.

The Nigeria Police Force, Fire and Rescue Service, and the Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) responded swiftly to rescue the victims.

Contrary to LASEMA’s statement indicating that five people were rescued and one died, residents and eyewitnesses contested the figure, asserting that at least seven people perished, with over 10 injured.

Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the permanent secretary of LASEMA, stated in a report by Daily Trust that an excavator recklessly struck the mosque, a storey building, while clearing the road, trapping lives and causing injuries and fatalities.

During a visit to the site, scavengers were observed salvaging iron from the rubble of the collapsed structure. It was revealed that the gutter in front of the mosque had been marked for expansion as part of ongoing road construction and installation of solar-powered streetlights by Bridgevine Resources Limited on Yusuf Street.

In an interview, the chief imam of the mosque, Lukman Qasim Olokuta, recounted that the incident stemmed from an excavator digging below the foundation level of the mosque, exposing the building to risk.

He refuted claims that the mosque collapsed on its own, attributing the incident to the contractor’s negligence.

Olokuta disclosed that the state government pledged to cover the medical expenses of some victims rushed to the hospital and appealed for makeshift buildings to continue daily prayers.

Expressing sorrow over the tragedy, Sheikh Abdulahakkem Goriola mentioned that some children trapped inside the building were preparing for Islamic education graduation.

At a private hospital where the imam’s son and other injured individuals were receiving treatment, Tunde Kazeem recounted leading the congregational prayer before the incident.

He described how he noticed a crack on the wall during the prayer and rushed to finish the prayer, but the falling pillar struck his head.

Gambo Mohammed expressed anguish over the disappearance of his friend, Usman Ibrahim, who was inside the mosque during the incident.