Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly Yakubu Danladi-Salihu and Senator Saliu Mustapha have expressed grief over the death of four members of a family in a three-storey building collapse in Ilorin.
The building reportedly collapsed on Tuesday at No. 41 Popo Giwa Street, beside Gogoro Mosque, in the Popo Giwa/Abemi area of Ilorin West Local Government Area, trapping eight members of the same family beneath the rubble.
Four people were rescued alive, while four others died after emergency responders reportedly spent hours searching through the debris. The survivors sustained varying degrees of injuries.
AbdulRazaq said he was saddened by the incident and had visited the injured survivors, assuring them of government support and medical care.
“I am saddened by the tragic collapse of a 3-storey building in Popo Giwa area of Ilorin, earlier today. My heart goes out to victims of the very sad incident. I have paid a get-well-visit to those injured during the building collapse,” the governor said.
He added, “I wished them safe and quick recovery. Our government is giving them the necessary medical care and support to ensure they are stable and recover promptly.”
The governor said a government delegation led by the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Lawal Olohungbebe, had visited the scene to assess the situation and sympathise with the affected community.
AbdulRazaq commended the State Emergency Management Agency, State Fire Service, Ilorin West Local Government authorities and community volunteers for their coordinated rescue efforts.
“I commend all our first responders from the State Emergency Management Agency to the State Fire Service, the Ilorin West Local Government authorities, and all our community volunteers for the coordinated rescue efforts,” he said.
The governor said the tragedy underscored the importance of construction safety and compliance with building standards, adding that his administration remained committed to enforcing safety regulations.
“I ask Almighty Allaah to comfort families who are bereaved from the incident. Again, this is another pointer to the fact that we must take safety protocols seriously in construction,” he said.
Mustapha, in a statement by his Media Assistant, Nasif Sholagberu, also commiserated with the victims’ families and the affected community while praising emergency responders for their efforts.
The senator called for stricter compliance with building regulations by property owners and developers and urged residents to report signs of structural weakness before they result in further loss of life.
Danladi-Salihu, the Speaker and APC governorship candidate, also mourned the victims in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulkadir Yusuf. He condoled with the bereaved families, prayed for the recovery of the survivors and commended the state government and rescue teams for their swift response.
