Dozens of students taking the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, narrowly escaped tragedy on Wednesday evening when their classrooms collapsed during a heavy rainstorm accompanied by strong winds.
The collapse trapped students, teachers, corps members, and external supervisors inside the buildings. Thankfully, local residents responded quickly and helped rescue those caught in the rubble.
Several students, both boys and girls, sustained injuries ranging from minor wounds to limb fractures. The injured are currently receiving medical care at a nearby Primary Healthcare Centre in Namnai.
A resident, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, said the incident happened around 6pm, shortly after the second set of students had begun their exams.
“It was the second batch of students still writing their exams that got trapped. The first set had already finished and left.
“The rain came suddenly with strong winds, and the old classroom structures couldn’t withstand it,” he said.
The impact extended to Jalingo, the state capital, where Wednesday’s torrential rainfall severely disrupted academic activities. Many students taking WAEC examinations were stranded at their test centers until after 1:00 AM when floodwaters subsided enough to allow safe passage home.
Examination delays were further exacerbated by logistical issues, with some centers receiving that day’s WAEC papers as late as 8:00 PM – significantly pushing back the scheduled exam times.
Attempts to obtain official comments from the State Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, were unsuccessful as her phone line remained unreachable during the reporting period.
