A dark cloud descended over Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Tuesday as a section of a fence under reconstruction at the historic Kwara Hotel crumbled, killing two construction workers and leaving another in critical condition. The incident has sparked fresh outrage over the handling of the multi-billion-naira rehabilitation project and raised urgent questions about safety standards and accountability.
The victims, who were working under the supervision of Craneburg Construction Company — a foreign firm awarded the controversial contract — were reportedly buried under the rubble when the aging boundary wall collapsed without warning. The workers were immediately rushed to Sadiku Hospital along Unity Road, but tragically, two of them were pronounced dead on arrival. The third worker remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
A source close to the project revealed to SaharaReporters that the workers had repeatedly expressed concerns over the deteriorating condition of the fence prior to the collapse. Their warnings, however, allegedly fell on deaf ears.
> “The deaths of these workers are truly heartbreaking,” the source lamented. “This tragedy could have been avoided if the contractors had taken safety protocols seriously. We’re currently at the Janaza burial ground with the foreign contractors — it’s a deeply unfortunate situation.”
The Kwara State Government has confirmed the incident. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the accident involved “an old fence separating the hotel from a nearby facility.”
> “Three workers were injured in the incident. One survived after receiving emergency medical attention, but unfortunately, the other two didn’t make it,” Ajakaye stated. “It is a very, very saddening event. Their families have been contacted, and investigations are underway.”
The tragedy comes amidst growing scrutiny over the Kwara State Government’s controversial approval of N17.8 billion for the hotel’s rehabilitation. The contract, awarded to Craneburg Construction Company Limited, aims to transform the once-iconic hospitality centre into a five-star facility over a 24-month period. But critics have described the project as an extravagant misuse of public funds.
On January 24, 2024, SaharaReporters reported that Mustapha Mashood, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governorship aspirant, had publicly decried the contract sum, calling it “unjustifiable” and “a waste of scarce resources.” In an open letter to the governor titled “No One Is God, Tread Softly,” Mashood revealed that his company had bid to complete the same project for just N3 billion.
Tuesday’s deadly collapse has now added fuel to the fire, intensifying calls for a thorough investigation into the project’s financial and structural integrity. Civil society groups and labour unions are also demanding that those responsible for the avoidable deaths be held accountable.
As the state mourns the loss of two of its citizens, the incident serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of negligence, mismanagement, and the dangers of sidelining worker safety in the pursuit of grandiose infrastructure dreams.
PIONEER NEWS 