Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday, led other eminent Nigerians to the venue of the groundbreaking ceremony of First Bank’s new 40-storey headquarters at Eko Atlantic City in Lagos.

The Vice President was received by Femi Otedola, businessman and chair of the First Holding Company.

Mr Shettima attended the ceremony alongside Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; the founder of Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote; co-founders of the Chagoury Group, Gilbert and Roland Chagoury; Deji Adeleke; among other dignitaries.

The project, set to become Nigeria’s tallest building, marks a significant milestone for the financial institution.

The bank said that the groundbreaking ceremony signifies the beginning of a transformative journey that reinforces FirstBank’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

It added that the new headquarters is designed with sustainability in mind, featuring a green-certified building that reduces operational costs and positions FirstBank as a leader in sustainable banking practices.

Olusegun Alebiosu, CEO, FirstBank Group, said, “We are proud to mark this significant milestone in our journey towards excellence. Our new Head Office is envisioned as a world-class structure that represents our dedication to innovation, customer satisfaction, and sustainability. We believe that this development will play a crucial role in fostering economic growth and development across Africa, creating long-term value for all our stakeholders.”

The vice president, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event, expressed the commitment of the Tinubu administration towards industrialisation, innovation, sustainable development, and growth.

One of the civil servants, who was arrested in 2024 for allegedly stealing pension funds belonging to Abia State, Miriam Azubuike, has delivered a baby boy.

The accused person, who has been in prison custody, delivered her baby in a government-owned hospital.

SOCIETY REPORTERS gathered that the Abia State government reportedly took care of the medical bills of her delivery and some other post-delivery needs.

Mrs Azubuike and some other defendants were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Umuahia for various charges but were granted bail in 2025 with different bail conditions.

However, the defendants, including Mrs Azubuike, were unable to meet the bail conditions.

Meanwhile, some friends to the female defendant, who spoke under anonymity, appealed to the Abia State government to release her on bail to take care of the new baby while her trial continues.

The death toll recorded in the building collapse, which happened on Wednesday, at Oriwu Street in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos State, has increased to four.

This was confirmed in a statement released by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Thursday.

“Two more dead bodies brought out of the rubble this morning,” he stated in the statement sent to our correspondent.

It was reported that six people were rescued while two bodies were recovered after the building collapsed on Wednesday.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, in a statement by its Permanent Secretary, Damilola Oke-Osanyitolu, on Wednesday, said the incident happened at about 4pm.

According to him, the injured persons were administered immediate medical care.

The statement partly read, “Following distress calls received via the CRM on the 767/112 Emergency Toll-Free Lines at 1425hrs today, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans and Response Team from its Lekki and Cappa Bases.

“Upon arrival at 1448hrs at the incident scene, LASEMA’s Shark and Eagle Response Teams discovered that a 3-storey building under construction had collapsed at the aforementioned location. So far, two adult males have been extricated from the rubble of the collapsed building. Six seriously injured adult males were rescued and were administered immediate medical care by the LRU Pre-Hospital Care Unit, before being transported to Marina General Hospital for further treatment.”Oke-Osanyintolu, however added that the cause of the collapse was yet to be ascertained, adding that further investigations would be conducted.

The LASEMA boss further disclosed that search and rescue operations were still ongoing.

“LRT is coordinating other common stakeholders for effective response at the incident scene. Agency’s heavy-duty equipment (Excavator) was deployed to the incident scene and is still in operation. Agency’s light and heavy-duty equipment were deployed for the search and rescue operation,” the statement added.