OGBA, LAGOS — As the dust settles on the site of the collapsed four-storey building in Ogba, a powerful story of survival has emerged that is bringing tears to the eyes of many across Nigeria. Ms. Shofumi Adepoju, the mother of twin boys who attended Yemco Daycare Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College, has narrated how her children narrowly escaped being crushed when the structure caved in on Monday, March 9, 2026.
The Silent Laboratory According to Ms. Adepoju’s testimony, given during a church thanksgiving service, her twin sons were inside the school’s Introductory Technology (Introtech) laboratory when the evacuation began. While a woman identified as "Mummy Akudayo" was praised for heroically marching over 360 students out of the building after hearing the first structural groans, the twins were unaware of the chaos. Because the lab was tucked away, they did not hear the initial calls to flee.
The mother revealed that it was only when one of the twins stepped out of the lab to check on a noise that he realized the entire school was eerily empty. Peering through a window, they saw a massive crowd of students and teachers standing at a distance on Adu Street, watching the building. Realizing the danger, the two boys scrambled down the stairs. Ms. Adepoju noted that her sons had barely cleared the perimeter of the building when the entire four-storey structure collapsed—less than two minutes after they reached safety.
A Community in Thanksgiving The emotional weight of the escape was so heavy that the children themselves insisted on going to church to "say thank you to the Lord," the mother stated. The video of her testimony has since gone viral on platforms like TikTok and Nairaland, serving as a focal point for a broader discussion on the "miracle" that occurred that Monday. Despite the total destruction of the school wing, government agencies like LASEMA and LASBCA have officially confirmed that zero fatalities were recorded.
Questions of Responsibility While the community celebrates the survival of the students, the Lagos State Government has intensified its probe. It has been revealed that the building was previously marked for distress, and unauthorized renovations were allegedly ongoing at the time of the collapse. For Ms. Adepoju and other parents, the relief of seeing their children alive is tempered by the trauma of what could have been. The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has promised to hold the school proprietors accountable, but for now, the story of the "twins in the lab" remains a powerful testament to a tragedy averted by seconds.
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