Dozens of students writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, were thrown into chaos earlier today after the roof of their examination hall collapsed during a session. The horrifying incident occurred while candidates were seated for their ongoing papers, sparking panic, injuries, and fears of potential fatalities.
Eyewitnesses reported a thunderous crack before the structure gave way, pinning several students beneath wooden beams and crumbled debris. Teachers and local residents rushed to the scene, pulling injured students from the wreckage with bare hands as emergency services struggled to arrive in time.
Officials from the Taraba State Ministry of Education confirmed that the examination was being supervised under WAEC regulations, and the hall had passed previous usage clearance. However, critics now question whether the aging infrastructure had undergone any recent structural assessment ahead of the national exams.
Local hospitals have reportedly admitted at least 17 students with varying degrees of injuries, including fractures and head trauma. While no official death toll has been released as of press time, community leaders and parents are demanding a full investigation into what many call a preventable disaster.
Gassol’s chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has decried the state of public school buildings in rural Taraba, citing this incident as the latest example of government neglect. “This tragedy is a direct consequence of decades of underfunding education,” a representative told reporters.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has yet to release a statement on the disruption to the WASSCE exams in Namnai, but sources say the affected papers will likely be rescheduled for the impacted candidates once they are medically cleared.
As news of the collapse circulates nationwide, calls are mounting on the federal and state governments to conduct urgent structural audits of examination centers and learning facilities across Nigeria, especially in under-resourced rural communities.
