The Kaduna state government has donated N1m to each of the eight victims who lost their lives in the Zaria Central Mosque collapse.
Gov. Uba Sani made the announcement in Zaria during a condolence visit to the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmad Bamalli, in Zaria on Tuesday.
The governor added that the other victims of the mosque collapse who are receiving treatment at the hospital would be supported with N500,000 for medication.
Sani said the rest of the victims who were discharged from hospital would receive N200,000 each.
The governor, who was accompanied by top government functionaries during the visit, was to condole and commiserate with the victims, Emir of Zazzau and entire Zazzau emirate over the ugly incident.
Sani said he was out of the country when the incident occurred, but he sent the Secretary to the state government, Balarabe Abbas, to attend the burial prayers.
“We are working closely with the council and other key stakeholders on best modalities of rebuilding the collapsed mosque.
“This is an ugly tragedy; the Kaduna state government would do everything humanly possible to renovate the mosque and ensure ugly incident like this did not happen,’’ he said.
Responding, the royal father commended the governor and his cabinet for the gesture, adding that the incident affects 25 people; eight died while three were still receiving treatment at the hospital.
According to the brief he received from the Chief Medical Director of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, the three victims sustained multiple injuries and they would undergo surgeries.
He noted that the mosque is one of the historical monuments of Kaduna state; recalling that it is constructed in the year 1835.
The royal father commended the efforts of the state Ministry of Works, Nigerian Society of Architects and Faculty of Architecture of the Ahmadu Bello University on efforts to reconstruct the mosque.
Bamalli also appreciated the Sultan of Sokoto, several traditional rulers and top government functionaries, among others, who commisserated with the emirate over the unfortunate incident.
Similarly, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who was at the palace at the time of the visit, also commended the numerous interventions by the Kaduna state government to the victims.
