The management of Oko Polytechnic in southeastern Nigeria has dismissed reports claiming that students died after a hostel building collapsed, insisting that no student of the institution lost their life in the incident.
According to the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Oguegbu Celestine Udoka, the collapsed structure was a privately owned lodge located in Amaokpala, a neighboring community to Oko. He explained that the building housed both students and non-students and was not owned or managed by the Polytechnic.
The management said the incident occurred after the completion of the second-semester examinations, a period when many students had already vacated their hostels and returned to their hometowns for the academic break.
Dr. Udoka emphasized that, despite widespread speculation on social media and other platforms, there is no confirmed record of any Oko Polytechnic student dying or being trapped in the collapse.
Following the incident, the Rector of Oko Polytechnic, Dr. Chioma Irene Awuzie, visited the site to assess the situation and determine whether any students had been affected. She was accompanied by the Students’ Union Government President, Giant Comrade Anuluonye Ifechukwu Joseph, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, the Chief Security Officer, and other members of staff.
Senior officials from the Anambra State Government also inspected the scene. They included the Commissioner for Works, Architect Okey Ezeobi, and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Ben Obidike, who monitored rescue operations and evaluated the emergency response.
The Polytechnic confirmed that several occupants were successfully rescued from the collapsed building and taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Rescue teams continued searching for about two people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
However, the institution maintained that the individuals still unaccounted for are not students of Oko Polytechnic.
The incident has renewed public attention on the safety standards of privately owned student accommodations in Nigeria, where concerns over building integrity and regulatory compliance have been raised following similar structural failures in recent years.
