BREAKING: Several Feared Dead As Section Of Abia’s Ekeoha Shopping Complex Collapses During Reconstruction

Many people were feared dead and several others injured on Tuesday after a section of the popular Ekeoha Shopping Complex in Aba, Abia State, collapsed while undergoing reconstruction under the administration of Governor Alex Otti.

Witnesses said panic broke out as traders, artisans, and construction workers fled for safety when the structure suddenly gave way, trapping several people beneath the rubble.

Emergency responders and local volunteers were reportedly working frantically to rescue those still buried under the debris as of press time.

The collapsed section is part of the Otti administration’s flagship redevelopment project, handled by Rhino Homes and Properties, a construction firm linked to Mr. Chinedu Onyeizu, the project’s contractor.

Onyeizu, a two-time senatorial candidate, first under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 and later under the Labour Party (LP) in 2023, is widely regarded as a close ally of the Otti administration.

Sources allege that despite repeated failures in previous projects, including the controversial Abia Industrial Innovation Park (AIIP) in Ukwa West, he was again awarded the lucrative Ekeoha reconstruction contract.

It was mentioned that Rhino Homes and Properties allegedly ignored a valid court order restraining further construction on the site pending the resolution of legal disputes among stakeholders.

Despite the injunction, the contractor was said to have continued work “in defiance of the court and in line with the governor’s directive,” a source familiar with the matter said.

Sources said that several of those trapped were construction workers and food vendors operating within the building at the time of the collapse.

In a video obtained by SaharaReporters from the scene, an eyewitness could be heard crying out, “The building has fallen because of substandard materials. We are calling on Governor Alex Otti to look into this project.

“They are now trying to cover up their mistakes. This building is not good for the safety of the people. Governor Alex Otti, please come to our rescue.”

As of the time of filing this report, SaharaReporters had not yet confirmed the extent of the damage at the construction site or the number of casualties.