Residents of Odo-Kekere Community in Ikorodu, Lagos State, were gripped by panic on Thursday evening after part of a public school building suddenly collapsed.
The incident occurred after school hours and has been widely described by residents as a case of divine intervention, as no pupils were present at the time.
Eyewitnesses said a section of the building caved in with a loud bang, sending dust into the air and drawing neighbours to the scene. Emergency responders from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) arrived promptly, cordoned off the area and began safety operations.
As of press time, the exact cause of the collapse and the full extent of the damage were still under investigation. Preliminary findings confirmed that students were not in the classrooms when the structure failed. Emergency teams were also conducting search-and-rescue operations to ensure that no security guards or staff members were trapped in the rubble.
A resident and eyewitness, Mrs Boluwaji Aderinto, whose house is located next to the school, expressed deep concern over the safety of aging school infrastructure in the area. She said community leaders and parents had previously raised alarm over the deteriorating condition of the building.
“We heard a loud crack and suddenly everywhere was filled with dust. We thank God it didn’t happen in the morning when the children would have been inside. This should serve as a wake-up call for the government,” she said.
Meanwhile, a high-powered delegation from the Lagos State Ministry of Education has visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment. A senior ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that top education officials, including the Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary of Education District II, were already on ground to assess the situation and recommend immediate action.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns about the structural integrity of buildings in both public and private schools across Lagos, with renewed calls for an urgent audit and rehabilitation of aging educational facilities to safeguard lives.