Five members of a family who died following the collapse of a residential building in Ilorin, Kwara State, have been buried according to Islamic rites.
The burial took place on Wednesday morning at the Muslim Cemetery in Oko-Olowo, Ilorin, following the recovery of the victims from the debris of the collapsed structure at the Popo Giwa area of Oke-Oyan.
The three-storey building reportedly collapsed on Tuesday, trapping occupants beneath the rubble and triggering a rescue operation involving residents and emergency responders. Earlier reports from state emergency agencies had initially confirmed four deaths and four rescues before subsequent reports placed the number of deceased family members at five.
The funeral prayer was led by renowned Islamic scholar and University of Ilorin lecturer, Professor Abubakar Imam Ali-Agan, who urged the bereaved family and other Muslims to accept the will of Allah and remain steadfast in faith.
In his brief sermon, Ali-Agan reminded mourners of the inevitability of death and encouraged the family to draw comfort from Islamic teachings in the face of the tragedy.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was represented at the funeral by one of his aides, Alhaji AbdulRazaq Jiddah.
The tragedy has also renewed calls for stronger public enlightenment on building safety and measures aimed at preventing avoidable structural disasters.
The collapsed building was reported to be more than 60 years old and contained several residential rooms. Emergency responders and residents worked through the debris following the incident to rescue those trapped.
Governor AbdulRazaq has since expressed sadness over the incident and reiterated the state government’s commitment to enforcing construction and safety standards across Kwara State.
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