Students Writing WAEC Exam in Taraba Escapes Death as Classrooms Collapse

•WAEC apologises for delay in English language exam

•Cites security, logistical challenges

Wole Ayodele in Jalingo and Funmi Ogundare in Lagos

Hundreds of final year students of Government Secondary School, Namnai in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State who were writing WAEC examinations narrowly escaped being killed on Wednesday as the entire block of classrooms in which they’re writing the examination collapsed.

Besides the students, Youth Corp members serving in the school, teachers, supervisors and invigilators also escaped death by the whiskers.

Also yesterday, the writing of WAEC English exam commenced at about 10.00 pm across the state and ended at about 1.00 am.

However, in a related development, WAEC issued an apology following the delay in the conduct of the English Language paper two during the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.

The Council cited security concerns, logistical hurdles, and sociocultural factors as key contributors to the disruption.

Moyosola Adesina, Acting Head of Public Affairs, WAEC, in a statement, explained the delay was a consequence of heightened efforts to prevent examination leakage and uphold the integrity of the exam process.

Meanwhile, the near tragic classrooms collapse incident occurred at about 6.00pm during a heavy downpour that was accompanied by a very heavy windstorm that removed rooftops of several houses in the community.

The victims were trapped in the collapsed classrooms and it took residents of the community who rushed to the scene several hours to rescue them from the wreckage.

Though no death was recorded, the victims however sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to the Primary Healthcare Centre few metres away from the school for treatment.

Some residents of the town who spoke to THISDAY on phone maintained it was their timely arrival at the scene that averted what could have been a tragic incident of monumental proportion.

Meanwhile, students that wrote their WAEC English examination across Taraba State did so under serious stress, fatigue and exhaustion following several hours of delay in the commencement of the examination.

Most of them wrote the examination on empty stomach as they could not afford money to buy food for themselves while some who lived close to their schools trekked inside the heavy rain to eat at home and return to continue their wait for the commencement of the examination.

Meanwhile, according to Moyosola Adesina, Acting Head of Public Affairs, WAEC, “While we successfully achieved our objective of preventing any leakage, it inadvertently impacted the timeliness and seamless conduct of the examination,” the statement read.

She emphasised the integrity and security of its examinations remain a top priority, while also acknowledging the frustration and inconvenience caused to candidates, schools, and parents.

To avoid similar issues in future examinations, the acting head of public affairs disclosed it is working closely with security agencies to strengthen operational efficiency and ensure smooth administration moving forward.

“We recognise the importance of the timely conduct of examinations and the impact of this delay. We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences caused,” she stated.

Adesina thanked all stakeholders for their patience and support during the disruption, reaffirming its commitment to maintaining high standards and promoting academic excellence across the West African sub-region.