The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered investigation into the collapse of a three-storey building in Abuja that left five people dead and 12 others injured.

Wike gave the directive on Monday during a visit to the site behind Gudu Market, where the structure collapsed on Saturday at about 8:30 a.m. while still under construction.

He disclosed that the site engineer had been arrested, while the developer would also be taken into custody as investigations continued.

Describing the incident as “very pathetic”, the minister expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

He said the Department of Development Control had sealed off the premises and was concluding preliminary findings on the incident.

Wike added that the FCTA would set up an expert panel to determine the cause of the collapse, emphasising that regulatory compliance was critical to safeguarding lives.

“When you are constructing buildings of this nature, the lives of the people are very, very important.

“We must know the quality of materials. What does the soil test allow? Can it support two or three floors? Will it allow for piling or a raft foundation? All these are key.”

The minister warned developers against bypassing government regulations, saying building standards exist to protect lives and not to hinder development.

Director of the Department of Development Control, Mr Bashir Sanusi, said preliminary findings indicated possible underground structural failure at the site.

He explained that a poorly backfilled local well beneath the building might have contributed to the collapse.

“Column C and D of the building were unfortunately placed directly on top of this hidden pit,” he said.

Sanusi added that although soil tests and approvals were obtained, underground anomalies such as filled wells might not be easily detected during standard surface-level assessments.