Two bodies a male and a female have so far been recovered from the rubble of the collapsed Elite 5-Star Hostel in Amaokpala, near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The three-storey building, which reportedly contained about 60 rooms, caved in on the night of Sunday, July 26, 2026, leaving several occupants trapped beneath the debris.

The female victim has been identified by friends as Vivian Chinedum, a baker and a fresh graduate of the Department of Food Science and Technology at Federal Polytechnic, Oko.

Rescue workers at the scene carrying body of a victim

According to the Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ABS), Vivian moved into the hostel in March 2026.

Survivors of the tragedy have since recounted the terrifying moments leading up to the collapse, revealing that there were clear warning signs before the building gave way.

One of the survivors, Grace Nweke, said that at about 10 p.m. on Sunday, a food vendor living in the hostel alerted residents through their WhatsApp group that cracks had appeared on the walls of the building.

The hostel before it collapsed

According to Grace, many occupants had not fully understood the gravity of the warning when they suddenly heard loud cracking sounds.

The noise prompted residents to flee the building in panic, with some managing to escape moments before the structure collapsed.

Grace, who had lived in the hostel since January 2026, said she was unaware that the building had structural defects.

The collapsed hostel that left casualties

She added that residents later discovered the previous occupants had allegedly been asked to vacate the building because it had been declared unsafe.

Despite the alleged warning, the caretaker reportedly rented out the hostel to unsuspecting students and other tenants.

Reacting to the incident, the Deputy Director of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Ndidi Omega, described the collapse as both tragic and preventable.

She stressed the importance of ensuring that any building declared unsafe or marked for demolition is immediately evacuated and kept unoccupied to prevent avoidable loss of lives.

The incident has sparked renewed calls for stricter enforcement of building safety regulations, with many Nigerians urging authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse and hold anyone found negligent accountable.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has dismissed allegations that former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, deliberately continued to receive government salary after leaving office, insisting available documents show he reported the payments and initiated a refund.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group described the allegation as “nonsense borne out of ignorance,” arguing that it ignored documentary evidence indicating that Nnaji alerted the Federal Government after discovering that salary payments had continued following his resignation.

HURIWA said the former minister, who resigned on October 7, 2025, wrote to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) after noticing the continued payments, requesting the computation of the amount involved and the appropriate government account for a refund.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko

According to the organisation, Nnaji stated in his correspondence: “I respectfully request that the relevant office(s) provide the appropriate instructions, computation, and designated government account details to facilitate a full refund of all payments made in error after my resignation from office.”

The rights group added that the former minister also instructed Fidelity Bank Plc on June 25, 2026, to debit his account and remit the funds to the Federal Government through the Remita platform under the Office of the SGF, with the transaction described as a refund of salary paid after his resignation.

It argued that the documents raised questions about how Nnaji could be accused of deliberately receiving the funds after notifying the authorities and taking steps to return the money.

Rather than blame the former minister, HURIWA urged anti-graft agencies to investigate the government’s payroll system and determine why his profile remained active after he had left office.

The organisation also claimed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had previously looked into the matter and did not establish that Nnaji orchestrated or was responsible for the continued salary payments.

While reaffirming its support for accountability, HURIWA cautioned against what it described as attempts to politicise corruption allegations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

It urged the ICPC to conduct an impartial investigation, identify any officials responsible for lapses in the payroll system and ensure the issue was not exploited for partisan political purposes.

HEDA petitions ICPC over alleged continued salary payment to former minister Geoffrey Nnaji

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) had earlier submitted a supplementary petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urging the Commission to expand its ongoing investigation into former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, to include alleged salary fraud, unlawful enrichment, payroll manipulation, and possible conspiracy involving public officials.

The petition, signed by HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju addressed to the commission, follows an earlier petition dated 17 October 2025 concerning allegations of certificate forgery, perjury, and presentation of false academic credentials by Mr. Nnaji. HEDA stated that new information obtained from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) indicates that Mr. Nnaji may have continued to receive government salary payments months after his removal from office.

According to the petition submitted to the ICPC, payroll records obtained from IPPIS for June 2026 allegedly showed that Mr. Nnaji remained listed under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) as “Hon. Minister” and received a net payment of ₦170,282.61 for the month. The document referenced in the petition also reportedly indicated cumulative earnings of ₦5,845,601.13 recorded on the system.

The group expressed concern that if verified, the continued payment of public funds to an individual no longer occupying the office raises serious questions about weaknesses in government payroll management systems and possible breaches of public service accountability standards.

“We are concerned that a public official who has left office could allegedly remain active on the government payroll system for several months. Beyond the individual involved, this raises questions about the accountability of officials responsible for maintaining and supervising government payroll records,” He added.

In its supplementary petition, Suraju urged the ICPC to expand the scope of its investigation and consider additional offences relating to alleged salary fraud, unlawful enrichment, payroll manipulation, and possible collaboration with officials responsible for maintaining payroll records.

The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old woman, Maimunatu Idris, of Maigatari Local Government Area in Jigawa State, for allegedly attacking her boyfriend and severing his manhood at Durbar Hotel, Badawa, Kano.

‎Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, saying the suspect attacked her lover with a sharp knife after discovering his intention to marry another woman.

‎Kiyawa said, “Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer led a team of detectives to the scene. The suspect was arrested and the weapon recovered as exhibit.

‎“The victim was rushed to Abubakar Imam Urology Hospital where he is currently receiving medical care. Investigation is ongoing,” he added.

‎He added that Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, condemned the act and warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands.

He assured residents that the Command would conduct a thorough investigation and prosecute the suspect in accordance with the law.

‎Meanwhile, an eyewitness who works as a security personnel near the hotel told Daily Trust that the suspect lured her boyfriend to lodge at the hotel after learning of his plan to dump her.

‎“She asked him to lodge at the hotel so they could stay together. It was there she used the opportunity to cut his manhood,” the eyewitness said.

He added that the suspect was immediately apprehended and handed over to the police, while the victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment.