Several students writing the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) narrowly escaped death on Wednesday, May 28, after classroom structures at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State collapsed during a fierce rainstorm.
TJ News Nigeria gathered that the affected students, teachers, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, and WAEC-appointed supervisors were trapped in the debris when the structures gave way amidst torrential rainfall accompanied by a violent windstorm around 6:00 p.m.
Victims Trapped and Rescued by Locals
The classroom collapse occurred during the second exam session of the day. According to eyewitnesses, while the first batch of candidates had completed their paper and left, the second batch was still writing when the disaster struck.
Several students, both male and female, sustained varying degrees of injuries — including broken limbs — and were rushed to a nearby Primary Healthcare Centre for urgent medical attention.
Residents of Namnai village played a crucial role in the rescue operations. One of the locals, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, speaking to The PUNCH via telephone, described the terrifying moment:
“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 explained.
The storm also reportedly destroyed several residential buildings in the community, further compounding the devastation.
Rainstorm Causes Havoc Across Taraba
In Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, students were also affected by the same rainstorm. Many WASSCE candidates were unable to return home due to the intensity of the downpour, remaining at their examination centres until past 1:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Compounding the situation, TJ News Nigeria learned that there was a late arrival of WAEC papers across several centres in the state. In some locations, students did not commence their exams until 8:00 p.m., causing undue stress and disruption to the already delicate examination process.
Education Ministry Unreachable
Efforts by TJ News Nigeria to reach Dr. Augustina Godwin, the Taraba State Commissioner for Basic Education, for an official response to the incident, were unsuccessful as her phone line was not reachable as at the time of filing this report.
Calls for Urgent Government Intervention
The incident has sparked renewed calls for urgent government intervention in the renovation and rebuilding of dilapidated school infrastructures across Taraba State and other parts of the country. Stakeholders and civil society groups have consistently raised concerns over the poor condition of public school buildings, which pose a grave danger to students and staff.
Summary
- Location: Government Secondary School, Namnai, Gassol LGA, Taraba State
- Incident: Classroom collapse during WASSCE amidst heavy rain
- Casualties: Multiple students injured; some with fractures
- Rescue: Conducted by local residents
- Exam Delay: WAEC paper arrived late in Jalingo; exams continued until 1:00 a.m.
- Response: Education authorities yet to issue an official statement
What you should know
As the 2025 WAEC continues nationwide, this tragedy highlights the pressing need for improved school infrastructure and better emergency preparedness in public education. TJ News Nigeria will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as new information emerges.
