Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), yesterday, appealed for calm over the four-storey building collapse in Ogba.

A quick decision to evacuate saved the lives of hundreds of students and workers at 11, Adudatu Street, behind County Hospital in the Aguda axis of Ogba, Lagos State.

The four-storey building which accommodated Yemco Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College, collapsed around midday on February 9, 2026.

Yemco Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College is the second school to collapse in Lagos this year, raising concerns on state of school buildings in the state.

The Guardian learnt that the building came down minutes after students and teachers were asked to leave the premises over imminent danger.

When The Guardian visited the scene yesterday, it was learnt that properties, school bags, computers and others were left in the building as both workers and students scampered for safety.

The Guardian noticed that two cars in the adjoining building were trapped in the rubble as the owners could not drive out before the collapse.

Speaking at the scene, the Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr Oluwafemi Oke- Osanyintolu, said the agency gave the school management an early warnings and notices and they abided by the advice.

“I am bold to tell Lagosians that the case was not a disaster but an emergency.

We carried out a clear monitoring and evaluation; that is why there’s no casualty in the collapse. We are serious about safety and we are on top of the situation.

“We have put a lot of machinery in place to ensure safety of lives and property. We have emergency numbers in place and the phone numbers of the Commissioner of Information are in the public domain. So, we are appealing to Lagosians to stop listening to people on social media trying to create panic,” he said.

Speaking also, a maintenance worker, Taiwo Omisore, said: “I am not a stranger in the house. This house has been in existence for a long time. I do work there. I am their aluminum constructor and working with them for 25 years. The building was a strong structure which I never expected to collapse. I can say the collapse is not natural.”

When asked why renovation was carried out without government approval, he said: “There was no major renovation on the building. They were only working on the staircase and no other structure was being added to it. I work and sleep in the school; so, I was surprised when I learnt that the building collapsed because it never gave warning and no prior notice was given by the government.

“The owner of the school, Adetayo Adeyinka, is a God-fearing businessman, who doesn’t economise materials.”