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Jos building Collapse: parents search for missing children after 24 hours
Distraught parents were in desperate search for their children yesterday, about 24 hours after the collapsed school building that killed 22 pupils in Jos.
The tragic incident also saw about 132 injured victims hospitalized in various hospitals around the Plateau State capital.
Emotions ran high at the site of the incident yesterday as parents searched desperately for their missing children.
One of the women, whose 16 years old daughter sustained injuries and was on admission at Our Lady of Apostles Hospital (OLA), raised the alarm on sighting Governor Caleb Mutfwang who visited the site yesterday, pleading that she was yet to see her son since the building collapsed.
Another parent, Mrs. Amaka Dennis, told reporters at OLA where her second child, Chidera Dennis, was recuperating from injuries she sustained during the incident, that she was still searching for her JSS 1 son, Emmanuel, who she said had gone to school on that day with his sister.
Amid sobs, the visibly worried mother said that she and her husband had combed all the hospitals and mortuaries in Jos without any sign of the pupil.
She complained that soldiers were not allowing parents to go to the site after the incident, adding that she had not been able to gain access and continue the search for her son.
Amaka, who hails from Orlu in Imo State, said: “Please, help me tell the soldiers to allow me to go in and look for my son if he is still under the rubble.
“My husband and I have gone round all the hospitals and mortuaries in Jos, but we have not seen him.
“Please help me, help me. I can’t get myself. As you see me, I am not the one here.
“I carried him for nine months. He is very diligent.
“I sell roasted corn, and after school, he comes to the market to help me.
“Let them allow me to dig if I can see my son.
“I thank God I have seen this one.
“The God that did miracle for me in this one should help me get my son.”
Her daughter, Chidera, an SS2 student, narrating what happened, said that they were in the class discussing after a lesson when one of their classmates told them that a teacher wanted to hold a combined lesson with another class with them.
Chidera said: “After a class, we just sat in the classroom discussing because the teacher had just finished teaching and left us.
“We were just ‘gisting’ and talking when one of our classmates came and told us that a teacher wanted to take us on a combined session with another class.
“We were about to go out, and as I carried my bag and opened the door, the building fell and I crept under one desk with one girl.
“She was telling me that I should help her because the desk was on top of her head. I removed her head and put my hand under the deck.
“Then she said that I should tell her mother that if they saved us she was going to die.
“I told her that she should not say so again, that we were going to come out alive and that the Lord is our strength.
“We were eight inside the class and we lost one of our classmates.”
Another, 14-year-old pupil, Chidinma Emmanuel of SS1, said they were trapped for hours before they were rescued.
She said: “We were in the class making noise, and our teacher came in and told us to keep quiet.
“While we sat in the class, we heard a sound, and before we knew it, the whole building had collapsed.
“I saw my teacher. I think she came out of the building. All of my classmates left and only three of us remained inside.
“It took them (rescuers) many hours before they could realise that some people were alive. When they found out, they tried to rescue us, but one person died in my class.
“I was to someone who died, and he laid on my arm. As he laid on my arm, the building fell on his head and it broke, so he died.
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“So I have a broken arm. My hand is broken.”
Governor Mutfwang yesterday ordered a shutdown of the school.
The governor also said the state government would take responsibility for the medical bills of the students injured in the tragic incident.
Governor Mutfwang said: “We have undertaken to bear the medical bills of all the victims in the hospital. We will do the best we can to ensure that they get the best of medical care,” he said.
“Like we have said, the school stands shut, and it is a call to duty.
“Not only are we going to investigate the reasons behind the collapse of the building, we are going to beam our searchlight on all such schools and make sure that they do not endanger anybody’s lives in the future.
“You know, the very unfortunate incident, like I said, could have been avoided with proper governance.
“Clearly, you can see that the building leaves a lot to be desired.
“Even as a layman, I could see that the building was not up to standard.
“Unfortunately, it has existed for years and has put the lives of people in peril now.
“As of this morning, we have a total of 22 lives lost. Many are still in hospital.
“But we thank God; the casualties could have been more.
“And this is why when we came into government, one of the executive orders we signed, Order 003, was to be able to sanitise the city, especially to avoid this kind of catastrophe.
“We are not out to punish anybody. We are not doing wickedness to anyone. We are not witch-hunting anybody.
“We just want to make sure that we live in a society like civilized people, obeying rules and regulations.
“And by the grace of God, we are going to continue on this trajectory.”
The governor expressed appreciation to the people of Plateau State who rushed to the scene in their numbers, particularly those who lent their equipment for use.
“This is our common humanity, that when disaster befalls any one of us, we are there for one another.
“We’ll continue this process of engagement and comforting one another until God brings comfort to the families who lost their dear ones.
“Even our public schools, we will not spare them. And we are also going to beam the searchlight on our own government processes and procedures to make sure that they have integrity and that people can trust the process.
“There are many buildings in this city that were built without any building plan; that were built without any building permit.
“Now we are going to make sure that people comply with our external town planning laws.
“For those who have built houses, particularly along riverbanks, let me send a note of warning right away, that we are going to ensure that there is a civilized gap between every riverbank and houses.
“You cannot build a house on the riverbank and erosion is eating into it and you are still living there. It doesn’t make sense.
“So it has been a painful one for me, and I’ve gone round to see some of the little children in pains and mothers who lost their dear children.
“It is something we need to avoid. We can’t continue to blame Satan and blame demons when we ourselves should take responsibility.”
The principal of the school told Mutfwang that the school had a student population of 284 in the secondary section and 145 in the primary.
He said the proprietor was not around to receive the governor as he was indisposed.
The Pan Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, on Monday, remember Ed and honoured the late leader of the group, Pa Abraham Adesanya, some 17 years after his departure to the great beyond.
The foremost Yoruba group who paid glowing tributes to its late leader described him as a democrat, highly principled and consistent political leader.
Afenifere, in a statement signed by the National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Abagun Kole Omololu, said the legacy of the late leader of the group would continue to inspire the way leadere play politics in this country
He said people like him are not many and said “on this solemn day, Afenifere honours the memory of Senator Abraham Adesanya, a titan of conscience, courage, and unyielding patriotism.
“A beacon of progressive thought and an unrelenting advocate for true federalism, Adesanya’s life embodied a profound devotion to the ideals of justice, liberty, and national equity.
“In an era marked by dictatorship and democratic subversion, he stood firm ,a lone voice of moral authority when many had fallen silent.
“His leadership of Afenifere was distinguished not by bluster, but by a dignified tenacity that galvanised a generation yearning for a Nigeria governed by fairness and reason”
He said “Papa Adesanya understood that nations are not sustained by mere geographical boundaries, but by structures built on consensus, equity, and mutual respect.
“His calls for restructuring were neither whimsical nor opportunistic; they were borne of a sagacious understanding that the strength of a nation lies in the inclusivity of its foundations.
“Today, as we reflect on the life of this great statesman,we are reminded that leadership is not merely about office, but about service to enduring principles.
“Afenifere salutes Papa Abraham Adesanya , a steadfast sentinel of democratic ideals and a true architect of hope. May his legacy continue to inspire generations”
…as foreign minister say member states must be united
By Gloria Ikibah
Speaker of The Gambia National Assembly, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, has urged members of the ECOWAS Parliament to face the realities of the region’s challenges following the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the regional body.
Speaking at the opening of the Delocalised Meeting of the ECOWAS Joint Committees on Monday in Banjul, The Gambia, Hon. Jatta said, the joint committee meeting was to ‘Consider the Political, Socio-Economic and Humanitarian Impact of the Withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS’.
The Speaker who highlighted the importance of the theme, said the situation demands deep reflection.
He said: “The theme under which this meeting is convened is not merely a topic for discussion; it calls for a deeper introspection of the founding principles of ECOWAS and to what extent these principles are serving the wishes and aspirations of our Citizens”.
The Speaker described the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger on January 29, 2025, as the most significant crisis in West Africa’s regional integration since the founding of ECOWAS in 1975.
He praised ECOWAS’s approach to the crisis, noting, “It is however worth noting that despite the major setback the withdrawal represents, ECOWAS measured and pragmatic approach shows the commitment to building bridges for cooperation and is highly commendable.”
Hon. Jatta therefore urged parliamentarians to recognize the complex causes of the withdrawal, as he said that the withdrawal could disrupt trade, increase security threats, and affect cross-border communities.
“As you take stock and deliberate on the impact of the withdrawal of the Alliance of Sahel States, do not lose sight of the fact that the departure of the Sahel states reflects a complex web of security concerns, geopolitical realignments and institutional failures.
“The immediate impact includes the potential disruption of established trade routes and economic zones. Port cities and transit trade could experience an economic downturn and cross-border communities and traditional trade networks may face challenges,” he said.
The Speaker warned about wider implications for African unity. “The split of ECOWAS poses profound implications for the African Union’s broader integration agenda, challenging current realities and future assumptions,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Hon. Jatta expressed optimism. that the resolutions that will emerge from this meeting would include strengthening the arm of parliamentary diplomacy to the Sahel states through constructive engagements and collaborations.
“Choosing isolation over regional cooperation would result in economic isolation and increased maritime access costs as landlocked nations. Additionally, they risk reduced foreign direct investment due to perceived instability and limited market access,” he added.
Hon. Jatta therefore called for dedication and urgency. “As parliamentarians, we have a crucial role to play in making this vision a reality. We must, therefore, approach our deliberations with a sense of urgency, commitment and determination, knowing that the hopes and aspirations of millions of ECOWAS citizens rest on our shoulders.
Without any shred of doubt, I am confident that, together, we can overcome the challenges before us and pave the way for a more integrated, peaceful, and prosperous ECOWAS region,” he said.
In his goodwill, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia, Dr. Mamadou Tangara, called on ECOWAS member states to strengthen unity and solidarity as the region faces critical political and security challenges.
Dr. Tangara noted its significance as the regional body marks its 50th anniversary.
“Your decision to organize this important delocalized sitting in Banjul is a clear testimony of your strong commitment to bring ECOWAS closer to its citizens. “The Government of The Gambia salutes this lofty decision of the Sixth Legislature”, he said.
Addressing the theme of the sitting, the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS, Dr. Tangara described it as unfortunate butemphasised hope for reconciliation.
He stressed that the vision of the founding fathers of ECOWAS and the African Union must continue to guide the region.
“We are all better off together as one family; one united West Africa with a common history, geography and destiny. We can overcome our disagreements and differences. We have the capacity, the readiness and willingness to achieve regional unity.
“Our unity is our strength. Let us work towards attaining African unity as encapsulated in the vision and dreams of the founding fathers,” Dr. Tangara urged.
The Foreign Minister reflected on the original goals of ECOWAS, describing the organization as a symbol of Pan-Africanism and economic emancipation.
And cautioned that the withdrawal of member states could weaken the dream of a united Africa.
“At the heart of the founding of ECOWAS was the recognition of the need for greater Pan-Africanism, African unity, solidarity and the economic emancipation of our states from the vestiges of colonialism.
“Any withdrawal from any of those building blocks by member states undermines African unity, integration and solidarity,” he stated.
Dr. Tangara therefore called for continuous engagement with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, as he said, “we cannot lose hope or patience and adopt abandonment as a policy.”
Dr. Tangara emphasised the many achievements of ECOWAS, from peacekeeping efforts to trade and free movement across borders, and challenged the notion that democracy and good governance are foreign to Africa.
“Some of our countries are enjoying peace today thanks to the sacrifices and invaluable contributions made by ECOWAS and its member states. The free movement of goods and people across our borders has become a standard being emulated around the world.
“African citizens have and nurture expectations that they will participate in the choice of their leaders and that their governments will govern justly based on rule of law and respect for human rights,” he said.
Dr. Tangara urged the delegates to focus on pragmatic solutions and regional cooperation, especially in light of growing security threats.
“No state in the region is secure without the security of other states.
“Our common history, our diverse peoples, our shared geography, our rich culture, our collective security and mutual prosperity place a unique burden on all of us here present to pursue unity, integration and prosperity,” he said.
…as young Nigerians, social media influencers push for free speech, national unity
By Gloria Ikibah
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, says the strength of Nigeria’s democracy should be judged by how much all citizens, especially key groups, are included in decision-making.
Speaker Abbas who stated this while meeting with a group of social media influencers, many of them young Nigerians, at the ‘Speaker’s New Media Exchange 2025’, stressed the importance of youth voices and the role of online platforms in shaping the country’s democracy on Monday in Abuja.
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