Tears flowed freely yesterday morning as five members of the same family who died in a building collapse in Ilorin, Kwara State, were buried according to Islamic rites, even as scavengers allegedly took advantage of the tragedy to cart away valuables from the debris.
The victims were buried at the Muslim Cemetery in Oko-Olowo, Ilorin, less than 24 hours after their bodies were recovered from the rubble of the collapsed three-storey building.
The 30-room building caved in early Tuesday at Popo Giwa, Oke-Oyan area of Ilorin, trapping the victims beneath the debris. Three other people were reportedly rescued and remained in critical condition.
The burial drew relatives, friends, neighbours and other sympathisers who gathered to pay their final respects to the deceased.
Leading the Janazah prayer, renowned Islamic scholar and University of Ilorin don, Prof Abubakr Imam Ali-Agan, urged the bereaved family to accept the tragedy as the will of Allah and remain steadfast in their faith.
In a brief sermon, Ali-Agan reminded the mourners of the inevitability of death and urged the family to draw strength from the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and remain patient despite the painful circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The Kwara State Government was represented at the funeral by one of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s aides, Alhaji AbdulRazaq Jiddah.
The tragedy, however, took another disturbing turn as alleged scavengers reportedly descended on the collapsed building, pretending to be members of the rescue team before allegedly looting valuables from the debris.
According to eyewitnesses, the scavengers arrived at the scene as early as 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, armed with iron cutters, sledgehammers and other tools.
They were said to have initially blended with the rescue personnel but later began cutting iron rods and removing other valuable materials from the rubble.
Some of their activities were reportedly captured on camera as they broke into the debris and allegedly packed cut materials into sacks and bags.
The valuables removed from the site were estimated by witnesses to be worth more than N3 million.
A resident, Muhedeen Oloyinde, expressed disappointment that while residents and emergency workers were making frantic efforts to rescue trapped victims, some people were allegedly more interested in profiting from the disaster.
“Brother, it bothers me to note that some wicked people actually came for their selfish interest,” he said, adding that some of the suspected scavengers were seen carrying sacks of items away from the scene.
Another resident, popularly known as Iya Bola, condemned the alleged activities, questioning how the scavengers could operate at the site without being challenged.
At the burial, mourners also called on the Kwara State Government to intensify public enlightenment and sensitisation on building safety and enforce construction regulations more rigorously.
They described building collapses as preventable disasters that require greater awareness, strict compliance with building standards and vigilance by residents and relevant authorities.
Ali-Agan also urged the government to embark on sustained sensitisation campaigns on the causes of building collapses and measures that could help prevent them.
The incident has renewed concerns over building safety in Ilorin and the need for stricter enforcement of construction standards to prevent further loss of lives.
Chief Medical Director Ilorin General Hospital, Dr Bola Ahmed; Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Alhaji Abdulrazaq Jiddah; and HOD Surgery, Ilorin General Hospital, Dr Ajiboye Olayemi; during get-well-visit to victims in Ilorin, on Tuesday.
