Building collapse Kwara has claimed the lives of four members of the same family after a three-storey building caved in at Popo Giwa, Ilorin, in the early hours of Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
The incident occurred around 5am at No. 41 Popo Giwa Street, beside Gogoro Mosque in the Ile Oyan Masalasi Gogoro area of Ilorin West Local Government Area. Eight members of one family were initially trapped beneath the rubble.
According to officials, four persons were confirmed dead while four others were rescued alive. The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed the figures, stating that rescue teams recovered four bodies and brought out four survivors.
An eyewitness, Abdulganiy Musa, told reporters that the father of the family is a serving soldier, while the mother worked as a casual staff member at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies in Ilorin. A child identified as Firdaus, the second-to-last born of the family, was among those rescued alive.
The Kwara State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Secretary, Magaji Saadudeen, said the eight trapped persons were members of the same family. The rescued victims were taken to hospital for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were evacuated.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, described the structure as a three-storey building and noted that the portion that collapsed was the boys’ quarters. Occupants of the main building were later evacuated pending structural assessment.
Rescue operations involved personnel from the Kwara State Fire Service, SEMA, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the police, and community members. An excavator was deployed to clear debris and gain access to sections of the collapsed structure.
One rescuer recounted that the mother was found with her young child on her chest, both deceased, after the building collapsed onto the bed where they were sleeping.
The exact cause of the building collapse has not been officially determined. Some reports described the structure as dilapidated and structurally weak prior to the incident.
The four survivors are currently receiving medical attention. Authorities have urged residents to report cracks and other signs of structural weakness in buildings to prevent similar tragedies.
The building collapse Kwara tragedy has once again drawn attention to the recurring problem of structural failures in residential buildings across Nigeria. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
