Tragedy struck the students of Lagos State University of Science and Technology on Saturday when a newly admitted colleague, Emmanuel Nweke, fell from a two-storey building in the Ikorodu area of the state.

TheNigerian Metro learnt that the incident occurred around 4:00 pm on the balcony of Nweke’s apartment at the Lasunwon First Gate, a predominantly student-populated area.

Grieving colleagues told TheNigerian Metro on Monday that the 100-level mathematics student had stepped onto the first-floor balcony corridor to get some fresh air following a prolonged power outage.

Upon reaching the corridor, Nweke reportedly leaned on the balcony railing, lost balance, and fell from the distressed building, hitting his head on the ground.

Sources in the community told TheNigerian Metro that the deceased, who hailed from Anambra State, passed away before his colleagues could rush him to the nearby general hospital for treatment.

While the entire building was shut down to prevent further incidents, our correspondent learnt that the landlord was immediately taken into custody by operatives of the Ikorodu Police Division on Sagamu Road, opposite Wema Bank, Ikorodu.

Speaking with TheNigerian Metro in a telephone conversation on Monday, a student of the school and vice chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Committee, Sadiq Adams Kiakia, accused the school of negligence for failing to provide accommodation, blaming the lack of housing and stable power supply for the death of the 100-level student.

Kiakia said, “Power supply in the area has been a major issue since the beginning of the year, with barely two hours of electricity available daily. The building is already deteriorating, and he tragically passed away before we could get him to the hospital.

“We urgently need proper accommodation within the school. If there was on-campus housing, Nweke wouldn’t have been staying in that building. Over 20 students lived there, and he (Nweke) had just paid his rent about two weeks ago. We need the school authorities to take immediate action.”

In an earlier statement, the Chairman of NANS JCC Lagos State, Comrade Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Quadri, and the Public Relations Officer, Comrade Ridwan Ajayi, criticised the school management and the state government for their negligence.

The union demanded justice for the deceased and condemned the school’s poor maintenance and lack of oversight in student accommodations, calling the incident a clear example of the ongoing crisis of inadequate and unsafe student housing around LASUSTECH and other tertiary institutions in Lagos State.

“It is deeply concerning that LASUSTECH and the Lagos State Government have failed to provide sufficient on-campus hostel accommodations, forcing students to resort to unsafe and overpriced off-campus options.

“This neglect reflects a severe failure of duty to ensure the welfare and safety of students, and it exacerbates the growing housing crisis within the university community.

“This tragedy is also a reflection of a larger systemic failure in student housing around tertiary institutions in Lagos State. With limited or zero affordable and safe on-campus accommodation, students are forced to rely on substandard and overpriced off-campus alternatives, many of which fail to meet basic safety standards,” the union lamented.

The students called for a comprehensive structural audit of all off-campus hostels around LASUSTECH to identify and shut down unsafe buildings, immediate action by the state government against landlords and hostel operators violating building regulations, and justice for Nweke, holding the hostel management accountable for the negligence that led to his death.

The students stated, “The Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Housing must establish and enforce a minimum safety standard for all student accommodations. Regular safety inspections of private hostels must be conducted to prevent future avoidable tragedies.

“The Lagos State Government and LASUSTECH must take immediate steps to provide affordable, safe, and purpose-built hostel accommodations on campus for students.

“Compensation and support for Emmanuel Nweke’s family: The hostel operators must take full responsibility for this incident, and legal action must be taken against all responsible parties.”

The union hoped that Nweke’s death would “mark a turning point in the fight for safe and affordable student housing.”

When contacted on Monday about the incident and lack of accommodation for LASUSTECH students, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs, at the state Ministry of Education, Mr. Mahmud Hassan, neither picked up his phone nor responded to the WhatsApp message sent to him.

Additionally, when our correspondent contacted the state police command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Monday, to inquire about the building owner’s arrest, his phone rang unanswered.

The university’s Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Ademola Aderogba, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, stating that the management was “on top of the situation.”

Regarding the lack of student accommodation, he explained that the issue was beyond the university’s control but assured that the government was already working on a solution.

“It was only three years ago that the state government began introducing hostels within the school premises.

The initiative has already started at Lagos State University, Ojo, through a Public-Private Partnership, with LASU being used as a model for other state-owned institutions. However, the project has yet to commence at our school,” Aderogba added.

A young woman tragically lost her life on Friday after falling into a well in Danbare, Kumbotso local government area of Kano State.

Kano State Fire Service disclosed this in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Saminu Yusif Abdullahi.

The statement said the fire service received an emergency call at 9:24 am from a resident, Bashir Salisu, reporting the incident.

The statement explained that, “The emergency rescue team from the state headquarters mobilised to the place where the incident happened and arrived at about 09:32 hrs.”

The victim, who was struggling with anxiety and mental illness, was pulled out of the well unconscious but was sadly confirmed dead by her family.

Abdullahi said the body of the deceased woman has been handed over to the ward head of Danbare, Magaji Kasim.

“The cause of the incident is under investigation,” the statement added.

Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) yesterday confirmed the death of two men who accidentally fell into a diesel reservoir in the Oregun area of the state.

The agency’s permanent secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who confirmed this in a statement, said the incident happened at the Ikosi- Oregun Road in Lagos.

“Following distress calls received on the 767 and 112 emergency toll-free lines at 10.37 a.m., LASEMA activated its response team from the Command and Control Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.

“Upon arrival at the scene by 10.47 a.m., it was discovered that two adult males had fallen into a diesel reservoir at the above-mentioned location.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the men accidentally fell into the diesel reservoir while working. The second adult male, in an attempt to rescue the first, also fell into the reservoir,” he said.

He said both victims were in severe conditions and were promptly transported to the hospital by the Lagos State Ambulance Service, after receiving first aid.

“First aid was administered on the victims immediately after their rescue. Both individuals were evacuated and transported to the hospital for further medical attention. Unfortunately, despite all sustained medical efforts, they later died,” he said.

He said the incident scene was being assessed by emergency responders to determine further necessary action in order to prevent similar occurrences,” he said. He added that the incident scene had been secured.(NAN)