Residents of the Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State were thrown into panic after a block of classrooms inside the Odokekere High School in the Ikorodu Local Government Area collapsed.
As gathered, the residents and parents’ fears became heightened after they realized that the loud bang that rippled around the community emanated following the collapse of a section of the school building hours after school activities ended.
Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Government, through its Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools (SCRPS), stated that the building had been marked for demolition after it became distressed.
SCRPS, while adding that there was no casualty, described the incident as shocking and unfortunate in the state.
In a statement released on Friday, the committee disclosed that Sanwo-Olu has ordered the relocation of the pupils to nearby schools to ensure safety.
According to the statement, “The state government regrets the unfortunate incident. However, classified information from the SCRPS office reveals that the classroom block had already been marked for demolition in order to construct a befitting classroom edifice that will accommodate the huge population of students in the school.
“We also wish to state that no casualty was recorded at the building collapse. All of our students are in perfect condition.
“The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has also ordered the immediate relocation of the pupils to nearby schools, so as not to disrupt their academic activities.
“A team of officials of SCRPS will be visiting the school today, to have an on-the-spot assessment of the incident, to enable the government to work out modalities, to begin immediate construction of an ultra-modern classroom block, that will accommodate the huge population in the school”.
First responders from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), raced to the scene promptly and cordoned off the area for safety purposes.
An eyewitness and resident, Mrs Boluwaji Aderinto, whose building is adjacent to the scene, expressed concerns of parents and community leaders in the area over safety measures by relevant authorities, as they have earlier called for the renovation of aging educational infrastructure in the area.
According to Aderinto, “We heard a loud crack and then dust everywhere. We thank God it didn’t happen in the morning when the children were at their desks. This is a wake-up call for the government.”
