The Kwara State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hon. Lawal Olohungbebe, has described the building collapse in Ilorin as "quite unfortunate and pathetic", while commiserating with the families and community affected by the tragedy.

Speaking at the scene of the incident, Olohungbebe expressed sadness over the loss of lives and commended the various emergency response agencies and individuals who participated in the rescue operation.

According to the commissioner, the incident was reported at about 5:00 a.m., with emergency responders arriving at the scene before 6:00 a.m. to commence rescue efforts.

He acknowledged the contributions of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Kwara State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the local government authority, the Nigerian Red Cross Society and other responders who mobilised to the scene.

"It's quite unfortunate and pathetic. We know how saddened this would be, and we are very sad about it. We are not happy about this," he said.

Olohungbebe, however, expressed gratitude for the prompt intervention of the emergency responders, which enabled the rescue of some of the victims, although some lives were unfortunately lost.

Speaking on behalf of the state government, the commissioner extended condolences to the bereaved family and residents of the affected community.

He also highlighted the importance of accessible roads and proper urban planning, noting that the accessibility of the road leading to the affected building significantly aided the rescue operation.

"One of the things that made it very easy for us to rescue the few people we were able to rescue is the access road," he said.

The commissioner urged residents and property developers to comply with building regulations and planning laws, particularly provisions requiring adequate access routes to residential buildings.

He stressed that proper urban planning should go beyond the construction of houses to include ensuring that emergency responders can easily access residential areas during crises.

His remarks came as emergency agencies continued their response to the early-morning building collapse, which left members of a family trapped under the rubble and resulted in multiple casualties.

Authorities are expected to conduct further assessments to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine the safety of the remaining structure.