Many students are reportedly trapped even as rescue operation is ongoing in Oko community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State where a private student hostel reportedly collapsed Sunday night.

Several occupants are feared trapped beneath the rubble of the three-storey building identified as Elite Five Star Lodge collapsed at Amokpala, Oko.

Eyewitnesses said a loud bang was heard moments before the multi-storey building gave way, sending students and residents rushing to the scene in confusion and fear.

“We heard a loud bang, and within seconds people were screaming for help. Everyone rushed out to see what had happened,” an eyewitness said.

Videos and photos circulating on social media showed a large crowd gathered around the collapsed structure as residents, students and emergency responders launched frantic rescue efforts. Local volunteers were also seen assisting in clearing debris in a bid to locate survivors.

Rescue operations ongoing – Police

The Anambra State Police command confirmed the incident in a statement Monday morning saying a coordinated rescue operation was  underway.

‎The building, located beside Tonimas Filling Station, caved in on July 26, prompting an immediate emergency response from the Anambra State Police Command and other security agencies.
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‎The statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the Police-led joint security team swiftly mobilised to the scene upon receiving a distress call adding that the area was secured to prevent further danger while rescue efforts commenced in collaboration with relevant emergency responders.
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‎According to the statement, personnel of the Anambra State Fire Service and the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) joined the operation to assist in searching for survivors and evacuating victims from the debris.
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‎The police command disclosed that some injured occupants have already been rescued and taken to a hospital in Oko, where they are receiving medical treatment.

However, rescue operations are still in progress, and authorities said the number of casualties or persons trapped could not yet be confirmed.
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‎The command appealed to residents and members of the public to remain calm, refrain from spreading unverified information, and stay away from the disaster site to enable emergency personnel carry out their duties without obstruction.

Ikenga assured that further updates would be provided as more verified information becomes available.

President Bola Tinubu has declined to receive a special envoy dispatched by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa amid growing concerns over persistent xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.

The South African delegation, led by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday, July 24, with what was described as a “very important message” for the Nigerian leader.

The development comes less than 24 hours after the reported killing of a Nigerian national, Chika Ibe, who was allegedly picked up from his residence at Parksig Villas Complex in Bellville, Cape Town, and tortured to death by personnel of the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Nigeria has maintained a firm stance against xenophobic attacks in South Africa. At the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in Lungi, Sierra Leone, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu, condemned the attacks and pledged that Nigeria would push for stronger measures against xenophobia at the African Union.

Speaking on the recurring Afrophobic attacks targeting African nationals in South Africa, Shettima called for a united continental response to protect the rights and dignity of Africans living across the continent.

He disclosed that the Federal Government had evacuated 1,490 Nigerians affected by previous xenophobic violence and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with regional and continental institutions to address the crisis.

Diplomatic sources disclosed that Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, advised that it was not an appropriate time for President Tinubu to receive the South African envoy, citing the continued attacks on Nigerians, their businesses and properties in South Africa.

According to the sources, the Foreign Affairs Minister stressed that the South African delegation could not secure an audience with the President without a prior appointment and concrete commitments from Pretoria.

She was also said to have insisted that South Africa must present a signed copy of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Early Warning Mechanism (EWM), which both countries signed in Abuja on October 22 last year, before further diplomatic engagement can proceed.

South Africa has reportedly failed to ratify the agreement, citing what Nigerian officials described as inadequate reasons.

The Early Warning Mechanism was designed to strengthen cooperation between both countries in monitoring threats of violence, protecting citizens, and addressing consular matters.

It also provides for rapid communication channels to de-escalate security risks involving foreign nationals and to prevent criminal acts, reprisals and xenophobic attacks against citizens of either country.

Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the framework could have facilitated compensation claims for Nigerians whose businesses and properties were destroyed during xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

However, South African authorities have so far declined to compensate victims of the attacks.

Presidency sources said that as of the time of filing this report, President Tinubu had yet to agree to meet the South African envoy. The outcome of a telephone conversation reportedly initiated by President Ramaphosa over the weekend also remained unclear.

Observers believe South Africa’s diplomatic outreach may be driven by concerns over the potential impact of deteriorating relations on South African investments and businesses operating in Nigeria, as well as Nigeria’s growing campaign for tougher continental measures against xenophobia and Afrophobic attacks.

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, in a midnight raid on his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.

The judge was reportedly whisked away in the early hours of Sunday after armed assailants stormed his home along Zogirma Road shortly after he returned from a trip to Sokoto State.

According to sources, the attack occurred at about midnight, with the gunmen firing sporadically before abducting the judge.

“He had just returned from Sokoto when the gunmen stormed his residence and took him away,” a source said.

The source noted that although the attackers fired several gunshots during the operation, no member of the judge’s household was injured.

“Immediately the incident occurred, we reported to the appropriate authorities, including the leadership of the High Court,” the source added.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Kebbi State Police Command, SP Bashir Usman, said the command had launched an intensive rescue operation.

“I can confirm that Hon. Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza around midnight,” Usman said.

He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muhammad Hadejia, immediately deployed tactical and intelligence teams to track down the kidnappers and secure the judge’s release.

“As we speak, our personnel are combing identified locations, including forest areas, to ensure that the judge is rescued alive and unharmed,” the police spokesman stated.

A senior official of the Kebbi State High Court, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, described the abduction as a devastating blow to the state’s judiciary.

“I am not authorized to speak formally, but this is a painful moment for us. To hear that one of our judge was abducted at his residence is very disturbing,” the official said.

He added that the management of the High Court had already met with heads of security agencies in the state to strategise on efforts to secure the judge’s immediate release.

As of the time of filing this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction, while security operatives continued search-and-rescue operations across suspected hideouts.