The owner of the seven-storey building, which collapsed in Port Harcourt on Friday, has been arrested by the police.
Though the police refused to disclose the identity of the person, it was learnt that he was arrested alongside the contractor handling the private project.
Some persons, who might be remotely or directly involved in the construction of the building, also honoured the invitation of the Rivers State Police Command over the matter.
Also present at the State Police Command to explain the cause of the building collapse were some government officials, who were said to have turned themselves in with a view to disclosing the circumstance that caused the building to cave in.
Recall that the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had during his visit to the site of the collapsed building, ordered the arrest of the owner and any other person that might have contributed to the incident.
Confirming the arrests, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, explained that the arrest and invitation was to assist the police in investigating the circumstances that led to the incident on Woji road in GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt.
Omoni said, “Yes, they have been arrested. They were arrested yesterday. For investigation purpose, we cannot mention names.
“Some others who may be involved are also turning themselves in. Even some government officials are also assisting in the investigation.”
Meanwhile, Wike has accepted the offer of the Commissioner for Urban Development and Physical Planning, Dr Reason Onya, to step aside for a comprehensive investigation into the collapse of the seven-storey building in Port Harcourt.
Addressing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Emma Okah, said the move was to ensure unfettered investigations.
Okah said the state government would continue with the ongoing rescue mission at the site of the collapsed building.
In a related development, a former vice president and PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has commiserated with the government and people of Rivers State over the building collapse.
Represented by his wife, Mrs Jennifer Atiku-Abubakar, during a visit to Government House in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the PDP presidential candidate said he was pained by the tragedy
He called on the Rivers State Governor to take actions that would end such tragedy.
“It is not enough to jail the owner of the building; it’s time we began to look at how we build our houses.
“We have to work on agencies that regulate the construction of buildings and ensure that they do their work properly,” he said.
Wike commended the PDP presidential candidate for being the first to commiserate with the state during its period of grief.
The governor regretted that the APC-led Federal Government had failed to condole with the government and people of Rivers State because of politics. Punch
