Residents of the Odo-Kekere community in Ikorodu, Lagos State, were thrown into panic on Thursday evening following the partial collapse of a building within a public school in the area.
The incident occurred after school hours, a development many residents described as a fortunate escape from what could have been a major tragedy. Witnesses said a section of the school structure suddenly gave way with a loud sound, drawing neighbours and passersby to the scene.
Emergency responders from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) arrived promptly and immediately cordoned off the area to prevent further danger.
As of press time, the cause of the collapse and the extent of the damage were yet to be fully determined. Preliminary findings, however, confirmed that no students were in the classrooms at the time of the incident. Emergency teams were also carrying out search and rescue operations to ensure that no security personnel or staff members were trapped under the rubble.
An eyewitness and nearby resident, Mrs Boluwaji Aderinto, expressed relief that the collapse did not occur during school hours, while raising concerns over the condition of aging school infrastructure in the area.
“We heard a loud crack and then dust everywhere. We thank God it didn’t happen in the morning when the children were in their desks. This is a wake-up call for the government,” she said.
She added that parents and community leaders had previously called on authorities to renovate deteriorating school buildings within the axis.
Meanwhile, a high-powered delegation from the Lagos State Ministry of Education has visited the scene to assess the situation. A senior ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that top education officers were already on ground.
“We have officers on site, including the Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary of Education District II, who are assessing the situation and determining the next line of action,” the official said.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the state of infrastructure in public and private schools across Lagos, with renewed calls for an urgent review and overhaul of aging school buildings to safeguard lives.
