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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)
The Emir of Gumel in Jigawa State, Alhaji Dr. Ahmed Muhammad Sani II, has died.
The monarch passed away on Thursday in Egypt.
His death has thrown the people of the Gumel Emirate and residents of Jigawa State into mourning, with tributes expected to continue to pour in from across the state and beyond.
The death of the respected traditional ruler is a significant loss to his family, associates and the entire Gumel community. Prayers have been offered for Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings and grant him eternal rest in Aljannatul Firdaus.
Prayers were also offered for Allah to grant his family, loved ones and the people of Gumel the strength and patience to bear the loss.
The death of the Emir represents a major loss to the Gumel Emirate, given the important role traditional institutions play in promoting peace, unity, cultural values and community development.
The Gumel Emirate is one of the historic traditional institutions in northern Nigeria, with a rich heritage and longstanding influence in the social and cultural affairs of its people.
As Emir, the late Alhaji Dr. Ahmed Muhammad Sani II, CON, served as custodian of the traditional institution and provided leadership to the people of the emirate.
His passing is expected to be deeply felt by members of the royal family, traditional title holders, community leaders and residents across the emirate.
United States federal agents have nabbed a podcaster, Azariah Southworth, in Los Angeles over allegations that he threatened to kill US President Donald Trump.
According to New York Post on Thursday, Southworth was taken into federal custody in Los Angeles following an investigation into the alleged threats against Trump.
Southworth is known for hosting the Yass, Jesus podcast and previously hosted the Christian television programme, The Remix. His arrest has brought federal authorities’ attention to statements allegedly made by him concerning the president.
The allegations against Southworth have not been established in court, and details of any criminal charges filed against him were not immediately available in the report. Federal authorities typically investigate threats against the president as potential federal offences.
US law prohibits knowingly and willfully threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict bodily harm on the president. Such cases can result in federal prosecution if investigators determine that a statement meets the legal threshold for a criminal threat.
Federal authorities have pursued similar cases involving alleged threats against Trump in recent years.
The US Department of Justice has previously announced charges and convictions involving people accused of making threats against the president online and through other forms of communication.
Authorities have also stressed in previous cases that an arrest or criminal charge does not establish guilt. Prosecutors are required to prove the allegations in court, while defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted.
Southworth’s arrest comes amid continued security concerns surrounding threats against Trump and other US public officials. Further details about the allegations, possible charges and Southworth’s next court appearance are expected to emerge as the federal case proceeds.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced a city-wide desilting of drainage channels following heavy torrential rainfalls that triggered flash floods across parts of the nation’s capital.
Inspecting the ongoing clearance operations along the Airport Expressway on Thursday, Mr Richard Dauda, acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), said the exercise was directed by the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike.
The directive followed a flash flood that flooded the Airport Expressway on Tuesday.
According to Dauda, the effort is to mitigate flood risks during the peak of the rainy season.
Dauda noted that while recent downpours align with earlier meteorological warnings and climate change trends, the Abuja Master Plan inherently recognises certain areas, including the Airport Expressway axis as flood plains.
He assured residents that while resilient infrastructure was originally built to handle high water volumes, human activities have severely compromised its efficiency.
“Some of these drainage facilities over time have been silted. Part of the cause is residents dumping refuse into drainage channels.
“When rain falls, it washes down polythene bags, waste, and even large objects that block the outlets,” he said.
Dauda highlighted two major human factors aggravating the flash floods: illegal development and widespread infrastructure vandalism.
Exposing a major choke point along the expressway, Dauda pointed to a triple-cell box culvert meant to discharge a powerful stream flowing from the Galadima Roundabout.
He explained that a private developer had illegally constricted the waterway further downstream by constructing retaining walls to expand a personal plot.
“What that causes is that the volume of water that ought to pass no longer passes, causing detention, backflow, and eventual flooding.
“To restore adequate discharge capacity, we must remove the structures built by this developer,” he said.
Dauda also decried the theft of metal gully inlet covers by vandals, which allows large debris to flow directly into underground drains instead of being sieved at the surface.
“When vandals steal these covers, it’s like stealing from yourself as a taxpayer,” he remarked.
To permanently curb the theft, he revealed that the FCDA is exploring replacement materials made from non-recyclable compounds rather than steel or cast iron.
The FCDA boss confirmed that workers were already desilting trapezoidal drains, U-channels, and culvert outlets along the Airport Expressway, with plans to reconstruct damaged points where necessary.
Dauda urged Abuja residents to stop dumping refuse into waterways, warning that government infrastructure can only protect the city if public cooperation is guaranteed.
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