REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE
Fresh facts have emerged about the true condition of the three storey building that collapsed at Amaokpala in Orumba North local government area of Anambra state on the evening of Sunday 26th July 2026.
According to some of the occupants who are mostly students of the federal Polytechnic Oko, the building had noticeable structural defects before it finally collapsed.
Coursemates, sympathisers, friends and relatives who gathered at the scene could not hide their tears as the bodies of two of the occupants of the building were being pulled out by the NEMA and SEMA combined rescue team.
The three storey building collapsed on Sunday evening at about ten o’clock when some of the occupants were asleep and others engaged in different activities.
One of the occupants and student of federal Polytechnic Oko who escaped being trapped , Miss Chioma Akabuike narrated that she was sleeping when her neighbour hit the door to tell her that their building was about to collapse.
She said though there was no sign of defect in her room , the Vice President of the lodge told her that structural defects were visible in her kitchen downstairs.
Another survivor, a student, Gift Nwabueze who parked into the house in January 2026 after paying two hundred and twenty thousand naira, said the caretaker only told her that nobody is occupying the ground floor because they intend to carryout maintenance.
For Chibuike Solomon , who said he just graduated from Federal Polytechnic Oko, there were cracks on the ground floor but the caretaker was always patching it up before the collapse.
Another survivor and student of the institution, Grace Nweke who also parked into the house in January after paying 180 ,000 due to size of her riom, narrated that each time she complains to the caretaker about the defects on the walls, he will refer her to one Mr Abu for repairs.
Miss Nweke also submitted that a former tenant of the building informed her that as at April 2025, the landlord had issued quite notice to all the occupants but the caretaker, one Mr Chuks went ahead to collect rent from unsuspecting students without telling them that anything was wrong with the building.
A resident of the area who were among the first responders that rescued three victims , Mr Ifeanyi Ezefunamba while commending government for providing an ambulance and excavator ,however observed that maybe the road construction may have contributed to the incident due the building proximity to the dualization point.
The state Commissioner for Works ,Mr Okey Ezeobi while stating that it was gathered that the building had structural defects, observed that if the road construction contributed to the incident, it explains that the structure was on the government right of way and did not observe the approved minimum set back of six meters from the road.
A representative of the Council for Regulations of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN , Anambra state Mr Appolos Ezeoba said the collapse has again highlighted the agency position insisting on certifications before any building is erected.
But what is government position on the increasing number of building collaps especially within the Oko and Amaokpala axis of the state ,the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Chijioke Ojukwu said henceforth all commercial buildings in the area will be subjected to structural integrity test to ascertain the durability of the lodges and hostels in the area.
Mr Ojukwu while sympathising with the families of those that lost thoer lives in the incident , announced that government had already sealed the scene of the collapsed building.
Meanwhile Anambra state government through the ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has commenced proper investigation into the unfortunate incident that claimed lives and left some persons hospitalized.
