The Plateau State Government has confirmed that 22 people have died and 132 have been injured following the collapse of a school building in Busa Buji, Jos North Local Government Area.
The tragedy occurred at Saints Academy on Friday morning, trapping more than 70 students and teachers under the rubble. Rescue efforts, involving both emergency workers and local residents, have been ongoing since the collapse.
In a statement released on Friday evening, Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms, detailed the impact of the disaster.
“As of 6:00 pm, 154 people have been rescued from the debris. Sadly, 22 individuals have been confirmed deceased,” Ashoms said.
“Injured students and staff are receiving medical treatment at various hospitals across Jos.”
Ashoms, who visited the scene, noted that while the school had a population of 400 students, the collapsed section housed about 200 individuals at the time of the incident.
Emergency workers promptly transported the survivors to local hospitals for urgent medical care.
“To ensure prompt medical attention, the government has directed all major hospitals in Jos to prioritize treatment of the victims, regardless of documentation or payment,” Ashoms stated.
“Governor Barrister Mutfwang has specifically instructed these hospitals to accommodate all those affected by the collapse.”
Structural Concerns
Ashoms lamented that the collapsed structure did not meet building standards, highlighting the risks posed by substandard construction.
“You can see that it is by the river bank and, from your eye evaluation, you know that it is not a very strong structure,” he said.
“We are calling on other schools that didn’t follow plans that have similar issues to close down in the interest of our state, in the interest of our people, because we have established a committee to go around.”
A History of Collapses
Building collapses are a recurrent issue in Nigeria, largely attributed to lax enforcement of construction standards, poor-quality materials, and corruption.
In 2021, a high-rise building under construction collapsed in the Ikoyi district of Lagos, killing at least 45 people. The following year, ten people died when a three-storey building collapsed in Ebute-Metta, Lagos.
Since 2005, at least 152 buildings have collapsed in Lagos alone, according to a South African university researcher.
The frequent disasters are often blamed on bad workmanship, the use of low-grade materials, and corruption that allows developers to bypass official oversight.
The Plateau State Government’s immediate response and the directive to hospitals to prioritize treatment for the victims underscore the urgent need to address the systemic issues in Nigeria’s construction industry to prevent future tragedies.