Grief has enveloped the family of 14-year-old Khadija Muhammad, one of the victims of the recent building collapse in Kano State, as relatives laid her to rest following her death after being rescued from the rubble.

Khadija was among victims of two separate building collapses in the state that claimed five lives and left 11 others injured.

A relative, Muhammad Abdullahi, said the family had accepted the tragedy and entrusted the deceased to God.
“We have accepted the loss and left everything to God,” he said, confirming that Khadija had been buried.

The teenager died after an Arabic school building collapsed at Kurna in Fagge Local Council. Eight students were rescued alive, while Khadija was brought out unconscious and later died.

Three days after the incidents, a structural engineer, Yusuf Saminu Yakasai, attributed the recurring building collapses in the state to weak regulatory enforcement, poor construction practices and the engagement of unqualified personnel.

The other collapse occurred at Gaida in Kumbotso Local Council, where a building under construction trapped six workers. Four of them were rescued unconscious but later died at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital.

Speaking with The Guardian, Yakasai blamed government regulatory agencies for failing to adequately enforce building standards.

“ The main problem goes to the government, particularly the regulatory agencies. They are not doing enough when it comes to enforcement of the rules governing building construction,” he said.

He alleged that many buildings were being constructed without approval from the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA), while some property owners engaged unqualified persons to supervise construction projects in an attempt to cut costs.

“Some property owners hardly engage professionals in carrying out their buildings. They rather take a layman to supervise the building or do it directly because they think they are reducing costs,” he said.

The spokesperson for the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, said preliminary findings showed that the Gaida building collapsed partly because poor-quality materials were used, while the Kurna structure was weakened by prolonged exposure to a large volume of water.

He said a comprehensive report on the incidents would be submitted to the relevant authorities.

However, KNUPDA spokesperson Bahijja Kabara dismissed allegations that the agency was failing in its regulatory responsibilities, saying some property owners deliberately bypassed the authority and proceeded with construction without obtaining the required approvals.

She said KNUPDA was mandated to scrutinise building plans and issue approval before construction commenced.

According to her, some developers also submitted plans for one-storey buildings but later altered them to two- or three-storey structures without proper approval, describing the practice as dangerous.

For Khadija’s family, however, the regulatory questions have come too late. The teenager has been laid to rest, leaving her relatives to mourn a life cut short by a building collapse whose causes authorities are now investigating.