Students accuse landlord, caretaker of negligence, call for their arrest over collapse of dilapidated hostel [VIDEO]

Some students of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, who resided in the three-storey building, Elite Five Star Lodge, located beside Tonimas Filling Station, Amokpala, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area, that collapsed on Sunday night have accused the landlord and caretaker of the building of negligence.

Some of the students, in voice messages made available to DAILY POST, stated that the signs were all over that the building was unsafe and might cave in, but the owners ignored them.

“They were more interested in fleecing students with one bill or another. When you tell them about the problems in the building, they will ignore you. In fact, most lodges in Oko and Amokpala are like that, and we want to call on the authorities to look into it.

“Surprisingly, these same people who ignore the faults in the building are so high-handed in treating students, especially when it has to do with the collection of levies and house rent.

“They will lock you out of your house if you owe rent, and they will never open it no matter how much you plead until you pay them.

“Some students will be locked out of their houses because of rent, and they will go and squat with friends for days. They won’t even let you collect your books during the examination period so that you can study. That is how wicked they are.”

In one of the voice notes, a female student said: “The authorities concerned should arrest the landlord and his caretaker. They knew the building was going to collapse, and they were more interested in getting money.

“I once showed the caretaker a fault in the house, and because of that, he stopped talking to me for months. They are evil, and they should be arrested for wasting people’s lives.

“What will people whose children died do now? Students who escaped but lost their property and vital documents, how will they be compensated? The landlord and caretaker need to be arrested.”

Though there is no official statement on the casualty figures, sources said one body has so far been recovered from the rubble. In a video seen by our correspondent, friends of the deceased female student were seen weeping uncontrollably.

The state police command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, had earlier stated in a press release that rescue operations commenced immediately after the incident occurred at about 11 p.m. on Sunday and continued through Monday morning.

He assured that most residents had been rescued and that efforts were still ongoing to find more persons trapped beneath the rubble.