• Federal Polytechnic Oko denies student deaths, urges calm

One person is feared dead while several others remain trapped after separate building collapses in Anambra and Ogun states, with emergency responders continuing rescue efforts at both sites.

In Anambra, a three-storey building known as Elite Five-Star Lodge collapsed in Amaokpala, Orumba North Local Council, at about 11:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The privately owned lodge, occupied by both students and non-students, reportedly caved in after a female occupant noticed cracks in the kitchen while cooking and raised an alarm. While some residents reportedly ignored the warning, others evacuated the building, narrowly escaping the disaster.

Eyewitnesses said one trapped occupant was later found dead beneath the rubble, while three others were rescued alive and taken to St. Michael’s Hospital, Oko, for treatment.

The reported fatality, however, contradicts the position of the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, which maintained that no student had died in the incident.

The lodge, located near Tonimas Filling Station, recorded relatively few casualties because many students had already vacated the premises after completing their second-semester examinations.

Although some social media reports claimed that five people died, the information remains unverified, with official rescue agencies yet to confirm any fatalities.

Residents said they heard a loud bang before the building gave way, prompting students and neighbours to begin rescue efforts before personnel from the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Red Cross, the police and other emergency responders arrived. Only one excavator was reportedly deployed for the operation.

Another survivor recounted how a female student trapped beneath the rubble attracted rescuers by flashing the light on her mobile phone despite being blinded by dust. She was later rescued alive and taken to hospital.

As of the time of filing this report, rescue operations were continuing amid fears that two more occupants might still be trapped beneath the debris.

The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that a joint security team had been mobilised to the scene.

He said: “The incident resulted in some occupants being trapped beneath the rubble.

“On receipt of the distress report, the police, in collaboration with other security agencies, immediately mobilised to the scene, secured the area to prevent further danger, and coordinated rescue efforts.

“The Anambra State Fire Service and the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) also responded promptly and joined the rescue operation.”

Ikenga said rescue efforts were ongoing and that the number of casualties could not yet be confirmed.

“Some injured victims have been rescued from the debris and evacuated to a hospital in Oko, where they are receiving medical attention,” he added.

He urged members of the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and stay away from the scene to allow emergency responders unrestricted access.

Meanwhile, the management of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, dismissed reports circulating on social media that the collapsed building was located within the institution or that several students had died.

In a statement issued by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Oguegbu Celestine Udoka, the polytechnic clarified that the collapsed building was located in Amaokpala, a neighbouring community, and not within the school’s premises.

The statement read in part: “As of the time of filing this report, no student of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, has been confirmed dead, and no life has been officially confirmed lost in the incident.”

The institution also described reports claiming that numerous students were trapped in the building as false and misleading.

According to the polytechnic, the Rector, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, visited the scene at about 6:36 a.m. on Monday to assess the situation and ascertain the welfare of affected students. She was accompanied by the Students’ Union Government President, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, the Chief Security Officer, the Public Relations Officer and other officials.

The statement added that the Anambra State Commissioner for Works, Okey Ezeobi, and the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Ben Obidike, also visited the site to support the ongoing rescue efforts.

The polytechnic said those rescued were receiving treatment for injuries that were not considered life-threatening and disclosed that about two persons, believed not to be students of the institution, might still be trapped.

The management noted that the incident occurred after the end of the second-semester examinations, when many students had already returned home for the short vacation. It urged the public to disregard unverified reports and sensational claims, stressing that it remained concerned about the safety and welfare of its students and would continue to monitor developments.

The institution also commended emergency responders, security agencies, government officials, volunteers and residents for their efforts in the rescue operation.

It was also gathered that the landlord of the collapsed building had ordered the immediate evacuation of the remaining occupants of the lodge.

In a separate incident yesterday, panic gripped residents after a two-storey building reportedly collapsed along Baale Road near Ajuwon Bus Stop in Ogun State, leaving an unspecified number of occupants feared trapped beneath the rubble.

Residents rushed to the scene in the hope of rescuing those believed to be trapped, while a crowd gathered as they awaited the arrival of emergency responders.

An eyewitness, Anthony, said only one male occupant managed to escape before the building became completely inaccessible.

According to him, the survivor said his wife and children were still trapped inside the building.

“Only one man came out of the building. He said his wife and children are still trapped inside,” Anthony said.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Ogun State Government nor emergency management agencies had confirmed the number of victims or disclosed whether a coordinated rescue operation had begun.