Blessing Onovo, a grieving mother, has shared heart-wrenching memories of her 15-year-old son, Chidera, who tragically died when his school building collapsed on Friday, July 12, 2024, in Jos, Plateau State.
Chidera, a student at Saint Academy in the Busa Buji community of Jos North Local Government Area, attended the school with his younger sister, Chisom. In an emotional interview with the BBC on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, Blessing recounted Chidera’s caring nature and how he often saved his lunch money to buy biscuits for his siblings. “He was always the one who noticed my moods and would ask, ‘Mummy, are you fine?’” she recalled.
Chidera had a passion for drawing, but tragically, the young boy who left home for school with his sister on that fateful Friday never returned.
Chidera’s father, Chike, described the mixed emotions he felt when his daughter was rescued from the rubble. “I saw my daughter Chisom being dragged out. I was relieved, but I kept shouting, ‘Where is Chidera, my son?’ It took about an hour before an excavator came,” Chike lamented. Chidera’s body was later found in his classroom on the first floor.
The collapse of the school’s two-story building occurred at approximately 8:30 am, resulting in 22 fatalities and trapping about 154 individuals under the debris before they were evacuated to various hospitals. The tragedy unfolded while students and teachers were in their classrooms.
An investigative panel set up by the Federal Government revealed that the building appeared distressed, having been constructed with weak materials.
Victor Dennis, another grieving parent, lost his son, Emmanuel, in the collapse. Emmanuel’s lifeless body was discovered at a local morgue the following day. “My boy was a good boy. He didn’t deserve to die. They killed my son. He didn’t do anything wrong. He just went to school to learn,” Dennis said.
The report noted that Emmanuel’s mother was inconsolable as she grieved her son’s death at home. The rescue operation saw several volunteers donating blood for survivors admitted to various hospitals.
Survivors recounted the horrifying moment of the collapse. An SS1 student shared how a teacher dismissed concerns about the building’s stability shortly before it came crashing down. “Our teacher was writing on the board when the building suddenly collapsed on our heads. The noise was so loud, and it was as if the world was about to end. Everywhere was dark, and I did not know where I was as the debris covered me,” the student recalled.
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has ordered the closure of the collapsed school and the arrest of artisanal miners operating around residential areas. The state government also declared a three-day mourning period. Additionally, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, called for an immediate investigation into the building collapse, emphasizing that those found responsible must be brought to justice.
