COREN sends two engineers to tribunal over Gombe assembly and Abuja building collapses
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Nigeria's engineering regulator has established prima facie cases against two engineers over the July collapse of a canopy at the Gombe State House of Assembly and the May collapse of a three-storey building in Gaduwa, Abuja, and referred both to its disciplinary tribunal.
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria has established prima facie cases against two engineers over separate building collapse incidents in Gombe State and the Federal Capital Territory, and has forwarded the investigative reports to its Engineering Tribunal for disciplinary proceedings.
COREN Registrar and chief executive Prof. Okorie Uche disclosed the referrals in a statement issued on Monday, following the council's 191st Ordinary Council Meeting held in Abuja on October 15.
The first case concerns the collapse of a reinforced concrete cantilever entrance canopy at the construction site of the Gombe State House of Assembly complex at about 3:25pm on July 10, 2026. Following an examination of the project's design, supervision and construction, the investigative panel established a prima facie case against Engr. Rahman Adegboyega Shittu (R.38234) of Ramad Consultant Limited.
The second concerns a three-storey building under construction at Plot 481, Cadastral Zone B13, Gaduwa District, Abuja, which collapsed on May 16, 2026. COREN said its investigation, initiated after a petition and referral from the Department of Development Control of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, established a prima facie case against the project's consultant engineer, Engr. Mustapha Maikaba (R.68.844).
The council stressed that the establishment of a prima facie case does not amount to a final determination of guilt or liability, and that both engineers would have the opportunity to defend themselves before the tribunal, which is expected to summon them.
Beyond the two cases, COREN approved the final draft of the Harmonised National Construction Safety Guidelines for the Nigerian Construction Industry for gazetting and distribution to stakeholders, endorsed collaboration with federal and state ministries of works so that engineering contracts are awarded only to COREN-registered firms, and approved the registration of 3,726 engineering practitioners and 153 engineering firms, including 37 consulting firms.