Over the weekend. Emmanuel Nweke, a 100-level mathematics student, lost his life after falling from the first-floor balcony of his off-campus hostel at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Ikorodu.
The incident happened around 4 p.m. at Lasunwon First Gate, a densely populated student area. Nweke reportedly stepped onto the balcony for fresh air due to a prolonged power outage, leaned on the railing, lost his balance, and fell. His head hit the ground, and despite efforts by his colleagues to rush him to a nearby hospital, he was pronounced dead before arrival.
Nweke, originally from Anambra State, had only been in the hostel for about two weeks, having recently paid his rent. His death has sparked outrage among students, who blame the lack of on-campus accommodation and poor living conditions in off-campus housing for the tragedy.
Following the incident, authorities shut down the building to prevent further accidents. The landlord was also taken into custody by the Ikorodu Divisional Police for questioning.
Sadiq Kiakia, Vice Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Joint Campus Committee (JCC) in Lagos, accused the university of failing to provide adequate accommodation for students.
His words: “Power supply in the area has been a major issue since the beginning of the year, with barely two hours of electricity available daily. The building is already deteriorating, and he tragically passed away before we could get him to the hospital.
“We urgently need proper accommodation within the school. If there was on-campus housing, Nweke wouldn’t have been staying in that building. Over 20 students lived there, and he (Nweke) had just paid his rent about two weeks ago. We need the school authorities to take immediate action.”
In a statement signed by NANS JCC Lagos Chairman Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Quadri and Public Relations Officer Ridwan Ajayi, the union criticized the school and the Lagos State Government for neglecting student welfare.
The statement described the situation as a “clear example of the perennial crisis of inadequate and unsafe student housing in LASUSTECH and other tertiary institutions in the state.”
“This tragedy is also a reflection of a larger systemic failure in student housing around tertiary institutions in Lagos State.
“With limited or zero affordable and safe on-campus accommodation, students are forced to rely on substandard and overpriced off-campus alternatives, many of which fail to meet basic safety standards,” the statement added.
The students are demanding:
- A structural audit of all off-campus hostels around LASUSTECH.
- Immediate action against landlords violating safety regulations.
- Justice for Nweke and accountability for the hostel management.
- Government intervention to provide affordable and safe student housing.
They also called on the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Housing to set and enforce minimum safety standards for student hostels.
LASUSTECH Dean of Student Affairs, Ademola Aderogba, confirmed the incident and assured that the school was handling the situation. However, he noted that the issue of student accommodation is beyond the school’s direct control.
“It was only three years ago that the state government began introducing hostels within the school premises,” he explained.
“The initiative has already started at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, through a Public-Private Partnership, with LASU being used as a model for other state-owned institutions. However, the project has yet to commence at our school.”
