by Oge Okonkwo

If there is one thing Saka Ismaila will never stop doing, its being kind to others as this trait in him paid off by saving him from possible death.

Mr. Ismaila is one of the artisans that worked at the four-storey building that collapsed at  8, Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos on Monday, November 4.

Luck was truly on his side, as Ismaila said he left his fellow artisans at the site  when he rushed out to give a food vendor her N50 which she had forgotten with him when the building collapsed.

Reports say:

The artisan said though he was broke, he would not just want to spend someone else’s money, adding that he was returning to the site when the incident occurred.

No fewer than five corpses were recovered from the collapsed building while 25 others were rescued.

However, Imaila said: “I will never stop doing good in my life. I went to give the Amala seller her money and as I was rushing back to the site, it collapsed. The woman sold food for me but forgot to collect her money, so I ran after her to give it to her.

“Although, I don’t have enough money on me, I don’t like to cheat people. It is against my belief. If not for that, I might have died too.”

While lamenting the death of others, he described the incident as sorrowful.

General Manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the rescue officials worked through the night, adding that his men had to relocate from the Great Nigeria House fire disaster scene to the scene of the collapsed building to save lives.