The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered a full investigation into the collapse of a building in Abuja that killed five people, directing that the site be immediately sealed off.

Wike, who visited the scene on Monday, described the incident as tragic and confirmed that an engineer connected to the project has already been arrested, while the developer is also expected to be taken into custody.

“From the report I got, we lost five people and some lives were saved. It’s very pathetic. Nobody is happy when you lose somebody,” he said.

He explained that the Department of Development Control had sealed off the premises and that a panel would be set up to determine the cause of the collapse.

“We are going to set up a panel to really look at what happened. One of the engineers has been arrested already. From there, we’ll get to the developer, and the developer will also be arrested,” he said.

Wike warned developers against obstructing officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) from carrying out routine inspections, stressing that enforcement of building regulations must not be undermined.

He noted that some developers often resist compliance checks and resort to public criticism when government agencies attempt to enforce standards.

The minister emphasized the importance of strict adherence to construction rules, including proper soil testing and the use of quality materials, saying such lapses often lead to avoidable disasters.

“How can you buy back these lives? They are gone. That is the responsibility of government: to protect life and property,” he added.