Lagos State government said yesterday that 29 families have submitted samples for DNA tests to identify bodies of relatives who died in the collapsed building in Ikoyi.
Over 20 members of bereaved families besieged the mortuary section of the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba on Monday for the identification of their family members
Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso in a statement said,
Omotoso said: “Twenty-nine families have come forward to submit samples for DNA to identify bodies that they wish to claim. In cases where identification is clear and there are no arguments, the bodies will be released to the families as from this week.”
According to him, a committee to supervise the identification and release of the bodies has been set up. It comprises senior officials of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice.
Omotoso said the operation will continue until the site is cleared and nobody is left in the rubble of the collapsed 21-storey edifice.
“The Panel of Inquiry set up by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to find out why the building went down and suggest ways of stopping such incidents has continued its sittings. It is collecting documents that may help unravel the mystery of the collapsed building,” he said.
The family of Wale Bob-Oseni, one of the victims of the collapsed building has refuted reports in the media that the deceased had interest in the Fourscore properties’ construction transactions.
The refutal came eight days after the building collapsed.
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The body of Bob-Oseni, a real estate dealer and executive director of African Bureau for Legislative Empowerment, was recovered on November 4.
The Howard University graduate was on his way to the US on November 1, when he got a call from his friend the owner of Fourscore Homes, Femi Osibona, to check out the ongoing construction of the Gerard Terraces. And while on the site, the building collapsed.
In a statement titled: “Wale Bob Oseni: We thank God for your life”, signed by his widow, Adeola Oseni and brother, Abass Oseni, the family, which said it was struggling with the nightmarish reality of the irreparable loss, debunked alleged interest of the late Oseni in either the property or the developing firm.
The statement read in part: “Perhaps, as a result of the mass involvement in what is supposed to be a technical process of sifting truth from hearsays and facts from fiction, a lot of inexactitudes and outright falsehood have sneaked into the narrations in the public domain.
“It is not true that Wale Bob Oseni was a director or contractor in the Fourscore Properties construction transaction.
“The owner, Femi Osibona and Wale were both alumni of Mayflower School, Ikenne, where both bonded. It was this camaraderie that made Osibona to invite him to see the dream project he was building.
“It is not true that Wale Bob Oseni was engaged in real estate business in Nigeria. His base was the United States where he worked his way up to handle substantial mortgages.
“As a patriotic Nigerian who desired to contribute to the development of his fatherland, Wale travelled often to Nigeria where he maintained home at the Eleganza Gardens, Ajah.
“He also utilised his visits to explore business opportunities and make valuable contacts with very important personalities who could assist the execution of his projects. In this regard, Wale believed that he could domesticate American innovations and add value to living in Nigeria.”
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