LAGOS — 2014 · Major Tragedy

Lagos Church Guesthouse Collapse

Under InvestigationSources: ALast updated: 14 October 2026

On 12 September 2014 a multi-storey guesthouse inside the compound of a church that drew international visitors collapsed in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos. It was housing pilgrims, mostly from South Africa. Official figures put the death toll at at least 115, of whom 84 were South African citizens. The church blamed a low-flying aircraft and sabotage. In 2015, however, a Lagos coroner ruled that the building had collapsed because of structural failure caused by added floors, and recommended prosecution of the church's trustees and two structural engineers. The case brought against two engineers in 2016 dragged on for years.

Date: 2014
Place: Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, Lagos, NG
Category: Major Tragedy
Case Status: Under Investigation
Coordinates: 6.5480, 3.2640 ↗

Timeline of Events

12 September 2014The guesthouse in the church compound collapsed.
November 2014Victims' remains began to be repatriated to South Africa.

8 July 2015The coroner ruled the collapse was due to structural failure.
April 2016Charges were filed against two engineers; the trial dragged on for years.

Sources

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