adminreporter
The Lagos State Government has shut down the popular Purple Mall following the tragic incident that occurred at the facility on Thursday, June 26.
According to Kylie, the deceased’s grieving mother, her only child, Obinna, used to work out at the mall’s gym. She said when Obinna arrived at the mall on that particular day, he was told to park his car on the fifth floor of the lot.
According to her, the CCTV only revealed that his car “tipped over” while he was looking for a parking spot on the 5th floor.
‘’There were no instructions or safety signs to say this is exit and this is entrance. My son entered through the exit. It is a multi level car park. My family and the police have seen the CCTV. He was driving very slow, he was not speeding. Obviously, when you are driving in a multi-level car park, you do not speed. You are looking for parking space as well, so he wasn’t speeding.” she said
‘’I don’t know what happened but the CCTV (shows) when he went to the 5th floor was when he tipped over. there was nothing after on the CCTV.”
The distraught mother said that it took thirty-five minutes for mall staff to remove her son from the car and take him to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead upon arrival.
However, the mall officials claimed their valet offered to assist her son with parking, but he declined. This was countered by the late Obinna’s mum, who said her son’s friend, who was driving behind him, disclosed that the mall officials had requested that they park their vehicles themselves.
Following the tragic event at the parking lot, the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources closed the mall indefinitely on Wednesday, July 2, pending the formation of a specialised investigation team.
Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, personally signed the statement on Wednesday night, stating that the investigation team would identify the underlying reason for the parking lot failure.
In addition, they will evaluate adherence to all building safety standards and spot any structural or environmental infractions.
“This heartbreaking accident was entirely preventable. We will ensure full accountability and implement all necessary measures to prevent future occurrences. “
The commissioner also sent his heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family, insisting that “Lagosians deserve safe public spaces, and we will not compromise on this.”
He promised all residents that updates would be provided as the investigation progressed.
