Students of Yemco Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College in the Ogba area of Lagos have recounted their frightening experience after a section of a classroom block collapsed within the school premises on Monday.
The incident, which occurred around 11 a.m., caused panic among students and teachers who ran for safety as the structure came down.
Although no life was lost and no injuries were recorded, the collapse triggered chaos within the school compound as students scrambled to escape the scene.
The affected building is located along Adudatu Street, behind County Hospital in the Aguda area of Ogba.
While the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said the incident occurred during an ongoing controlled demolition of the distressed structure, some eyewitnesses described the moment as chaotic, with students screaming and running out of the compound.
An official of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, said students had been evacuated from the affected building before the demolition exercise began.
Some students, however, said they heard a loud noise before the structure came down.
“I was in class when I heard a loud cracking sound,” said one of the students, who identified himself as Emmanuel.
“The next thing we saw was dust everywhere. We were out for lunch when it happened. I ran as fast as I could into another classroom block.”
Another student, 14-year-old Blessing, said the collapse sent thick dust into the air, causing panic among the students.
“I thought it might affect other classrooms, so I ran out of the school compound as fast as I could,” she said.
The school population is estimated to be between 600 and 800 students.
Following the incident, officials of the state rescue team cordoned off the premises to restrict access.
Some residents in the area said concerns had earlier been raised about the building after parts of the roof reportedly began falling off, prompting alarm among people in the neighbourhood.
Shakiru Amodu, an official of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed the incident, noting that the building had previously shown signs of structural distress.
Amodu, who spoke by phone, explained that the structure had been marked for demolition after authorities discovered its condition.
“The affected building had earlier shown signs of distress and was marked for demolition. All the students had been evacuated before the exercise began, so no one was injured and no life was lost,” he said.
He added that officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service later secured the scene and restricted access to the area.