A three-storey building collapses in Ilorin's Popo Giwa area, killing a mother and three of her children while four family members, including the father, a serving soldier, are rescued alive.
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Ilorin, Kwara State — September, 2026
A mother and three of her children were killed when a three-storey building collapsed at No. 41 Popo Giwa Street, beside Gogoro Mosque, in Ilorin, Kwara State, at around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, trapping all eight members of the family beneath the rubble.
The Kwara State Fire Service and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) confirmed that four family members were rescued alive, while four others, including the mother, were recovered dead.
An eyewitness, Abdulganiy Musa, told reporters that the family's father was a serving soldier, while the mother worked as a casual staff member at the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) in Ilorin.
Fire Service spokesperson Hassan Adekunle said the agency received a distress call at approximately 5 a.m. and mobilised immediately, working alongside the Hospitals Management Board, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other emergency agencies. "This kind of situation is not something the fire service can handle alone," he said. An excavator was deployed to help rescuers gain access to those trapped beneath the debris.
One of the surviving children, identified as Firdaus, was among those pulled out alive during the operation. A rescuer who took part in the effort later described the harrowing scene of finding the mother with one of her dead children on her chest, having apparently tried to shield the child as the structure came down.
The Police Commissioner, who visited the scene, urged residents to pay close attention to warning signs such as leaks and other structural defects in their buildings. Ilorin West Local Government Chairman AbdulRahman Babatunde Ladan also monitored the rescue operation and commended the emergency agencies and residents for their swift response.
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