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Sad! Family of four die in Kwara building collapse
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Four members of the same family have been confirmed dead after a three-storey building collapsed at Popo Giwa, Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday morning.
The PUNCH gathered that the incident occurred around 5am at No. 41 Popo Giwa Street, beside Gogoro Mosque, with eight members of the family initially trapped beneath the rubble.
Speaking with our correspondent during the rescue operation, an eyewitness, Abdulganiy Musa, said the father of the family was a serving soldier, while the mother worked as a casual staff member at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin.
Musa said rescue workers were engaged in efforts to evacuate the victims trapped under the collapsed structure.
A child identified as Firdaus, the second-to-last born of the family, was among those rescued alive from the rubble as emergency responders intensified the operation.
An excavator was later deployed to the scene to assist rescuers in removing the debris and gaining access to the remaining trapped victims.
Findings by The PUNCH showed that several emergency and security agencies were involved in the rescue operation, with ambulances deployed to evacuate survivors for medical attention.
Representing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the scene, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Lawal Olohungbebe, described the incident as unfortunate and condoled with the victims’ families.
“The rescue mission began immediately after the collapse and to the Grace of God, some were rescued but unfortunately, we have to take it as this,” he said.
Olohungbebe stressed the importance of accessible roads in residential areas, saying the access route to the building contributed to the ease with which emergency responders were able to reach the scene.
“One of the things that made it very easy for us to rescue the few people we were able to rescue is the access route,” he said.
He urged residents and developers to respect building and town-planning regulations, particularly the need to maintain access roads to residential areas.
The commissioner commended the Ministries of Health and Environment, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, SEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency, Fire Service, Civil Defence, the Red Cross and other responders for their swift intervention.
The Kwara State Fire Service subsequently confirmed that four people died while four others were rescued alive.
The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, disclosed this while speaking with The PUNCH at the scene of the incident.
“We have recovered four people dead and rescued four people alive,” he said.
Adekunle said the agency received a distress call at about 5am reporting that a building had collapsed and people were trapped underneath.
“We immediately mobilised to the scene and commenced rescue operation. This kind of situation is not something the fire service can handle alone,” he said.
He added that officials of the Hospitals Management Board, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other emergency agencies joined the rescue operation.
The fire service spokesman said the cause of the collapse would be determined after a proper assessment of the structure.
“We are only here to ascertain the actual cause of this collapse and rescue the trapped victims. As at when due, we will communicate to the media about our findings,” he said.
Adekunle said if the assessment warranted demolition, the relevant authorities would take appropriate action, while occupants would be advised accordingly if the structures were found to be safe.
He commiserated with the families of the victims and urged residents to report unusual signs in their buildings or evacuate immediately when they noticed anything that could indicate danger.
The Kwara State Emergency Management Agency also confirmed the death of four people and the rescue of four others.
The SEMA Secretary, Magaji Saadudeen, said eight people were trapped in the building, adding that the rescued victims and bodies of the deceased had been taken to hospital.
“The rescued persons are receiving treatment presently,” Saadudeen said.
Speaking on the structure, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, said it was a three-storey building and that the portion that collapsed was the boys’ quarters.
“It was a three-storey building that collapsed. Our findings showed that the boys’ quarter of the building that collapsed. Information gathered revealed that eight people were trapped in the building,” he said.
Adekimi said the rescued victims had been taken to hospital while the bodies of those who died were also evacuated.
“For now, the situation is under control. We will examine the remaining building and see how people can be secured. But for now, we have evacuated everybody from the main building,” he said.
The police commissioner said residents should pay attention to warning signs such as leakages and other structural defects in buildings.
The Chairman of Ilorin West Local Government Area, AbdulRahman Babatunde Ladan, who monitored the rescue operation, also commended the emergency agencies and residents for their prompt response.
Ladan said about six to seven ambulances were deployed to the scene to support the evacuation of victims for medical attention.
He urged residents to report structural defects promptly and evacuate buildings whenever they noticed signs of possible collapse.
“Whenever you discover something like this, please escalate it. Get to the point of evacuating yourself and your family members from that building. Life is the priority,” he said.
The council chairman also advised prospective developers to use quality materials and engage qualified professionals to supervise construction, stressing that adherence to building standards was essential to preventing structural failures. (PUNCH)
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Ride-hailing company, Uber, has shut down its operations in Nigeria.
In a statement, the company, which came into Nigeria in 2014, said its exit is effective from September 2, 2026.
After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria, effective September 2, 2026,”
“We are writing to share some difficult news. After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026.”
“Since we first launched in Lagos in 2014, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your daily life connecting you with independent transportation providers.
Whether it was a morning commute, a ride to see loved ones, or exploring the city, thank you for trusting the platform to connect you to a driver to get you there safely. We know this may cause disruption to your routine, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”
Uber said said its plan is to support drivers, riders and local team members through the transition
(Daily Trust)
A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has claimed that an individual it described as being linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu offered $3 million to persuade the firm to halt its activities concerning allegations about the Nigerian president’s past.
The firm made the claim in a statement published on its verified X account on Wednesday, alleging that the purported offer was accompanied by an invitation to a confidential meeting in London.
Von Batten-Montague-York said its leader, Dr Von Batten, rejected the proposal and retained copies of the communications relating to the alleged offer.
The firm did not identify the individual it claimed made the offer, nor did it provide publicly verifiable evidence establishing that the person was acting on behalf of President Tinubu.
Firm alleges $3m inducement
According to the statement, the alleged approach came from what the firm described as a “highly placed individual” who it said it had been told was connected to the President.
The firm alleged that the purpose of the proposed payment was to persuade Dr Von Batten to discontinue the organisation’s campaign concerning allegations it has previously raised about President Tinubu.
“A few days ago, Dr Von Batten received unsolicited offers of $3 million, along with an invitation to a confidential meeting in London, from a highly placed individual whom we have been informed is connected to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu,” the firm said.
It added that it viewed the alleged offer as an attempt to influence its activities.
“We believe these offers were an attempt to persuade Dr Von Batten to end our campaign concerning President Tinubu’s alleged heroin-trafficking records,” the statement said.
The firm said it rejected the alleged proposal, adding that it had preserved the communications surrounding the purported approach.
Firm says it investigated alleged link
Von Batten-Montague-York said it subsequently sought to establish the identity and political connections of the individual allegedly behind the approach.
It claimed that it contacted members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as part of its efforts to determine whether the individual had any relationship with President Tinubu.
The firm also alleged that negative publicity targeting Dr Von Batten emerged after the purported offer was rejected.
It did not, however, provide independent evidence in the statement to substantiate the alleged link between the individual and the President or to establish that the subsequent criticism was connected to the alleged offer.
Documents to be submitted to US authorities
The lobbying firm said it plans to submit what it described as the relevant communications and details of the alleged $3 million proposal to United States authorities.
It specifically mentioned the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The firm said the move would enable the appropriate authorities to independently examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged approach.
The organisation also directed its message at President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it had rejected the purported offer.
Allegation remains unverified
The claim comes against the backdrop of longstanding political and legal disputes surrounding allegations concerning President Tinubu’s past, including claims that have previously been raised in political campaigns and legal proceedings.
However, the latest allegation by Von Batten-Montague-York has not been independently verified.
The firm has not publicly identified the alleged intermediary or produced evidence confirming that the person was authorised to act for or on behalf of President Tinubu.
There was also no response from the Presidency, President Tinubu, the APC or any identified representative contained in the statement issued by the firm.
Birthdays are milestones in the journey of life, but for those entrusted with the service of a nation, they are also moments to celebrate the footprints they have left along the way. Today, I celebrate one such journey—that of an accomplished public servant, steadfast patriot and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima.
Your Excellency, your journey through public service—from Commissioner to Governor, Senator and now Vice President—has been distinguished by courage in adversity, intellectual depth, loyalty to country and an abiding conviction in the promise of Nigeria.
You governed Borno State at one of the most difficult periods in its history, when terror tested the resilience of its people and challenged the authority of the Nigerian state. Yet you remained at your duty post, providing leadership in the face of danger and demonstrating that adversity must never be permitted to extinguish hope.
Today, as Vice President, you bring that same resilience, experience and patriotic commitment to the service of our nation. Your partnership with His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda demonstrates the importance of unity of purpose at the highest levels of government as we confront the challenges of the present and lay the foundations for a more prosperous future.
On this special day, I celebrate not merely the addition of another year to your life, but the years you have invested in the service of our fatherland.
On behalf of my family, my constituents and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I wish you many more years of good health, wisdom, strength and fulfilment.
May Almighty God continue to guide you, strengthen you and grant you the grace to serve our nation with distinction.
And may the years ahead bring us ever closer to the Nigeria for which generations have hoped and laboured—a nation at peace with itself, confident in its diversity, prosperous in its economy and respected among the nations of the world.
Happy Birthday, Mr Vice President.
May God bless you, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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