Panic gripped residents of the Odo-Kekere community in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State on Thursday evening following the collapse of a building within a public school.
The incident occurred after school hours and was accompanied by a loud sound that startled residents in nearby buildings. The Lagos State Government, through the Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools, confirmed that the collapsed structure was a bungalow classroom block and said no casualties were recorded.
The committee stated that all students were safe and expressed the government’s regret over the incident.
According to the committee, classified information revealed that the affected classroom block had already been marked for demolition as part of plans to construct a more suitable classroom facility to accommodate the school’s growing population.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the immediate relocation of the affected pupils to nearby schools to ensure their academic activities are not disrupted.
The government also said officials of the Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools would visit the school for an on-the-spot assessment to enable the commencement of immediate construction of an ultra-modern classroom block.
The collapse adds to a series of building failures recorded in Lagos over the past six months, including incidents in Idi Araba, Ojodu-Berger, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Alimosho and Oyingbo, some of which resulted in fatalities and multiple rescues.
