2025 WASSCE: Commotion As WAEC Examination Hall Collapses On Candidates [Photos]

A large number of students participating in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) 2025 at Government Secondary School, Namnai, located in the Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, narrowly avoided a tragic fate on Wednesday evening when their classrooms collapsed due to a heavy downpour accompanied by a windstorm.

Naijaonpoint learnt that the students, along with their teachers, corps members, and external supervisors, were reportedly trapped within the collapsed structures and required rescue from local residents who promptly responded to the emergency.

Numerous students, both male and female, sustained various degrees of injuries, with some reportedly suffering from fractures in their limbs.

The affected individuals are currently receiving medical attention at a nearby Primary Healthcare Centre in the town.

A local resident, Alhaji DanAzumi Lauris, who communicated with The PUNCH via telephone, stated that the incident occurred around 6pm, shortly after the second group of students had commenced their examinations.

“It was the second batch of students still writing their exams that got trapped. The first set had already finished and left.

“The rain came suddenly with strong winds, and the old classroom structures couldn’t withstand it,” the individual disclosed.

He stated that the windstorm not only caused the collapse of the school buildings but also led to the destruction of several homes within the community.

In a related matter, students in Jalingo, the state capital, were similarly impacted by the heavy rainfall that occurred on Wednesday.

Certain candidates were compelled to stay at their examination centres until after 1 am, as the intense rain rendered it impossible for them to return home sooner.

Additionally, there was a reported delay in the arrival of the WAEC examination paper for the day, which resulted in ...ponement of the exams until 8 pm, when some centres finally received the paper.

In other news, WAEC has expressed its apologies for the delay in administering the English Language Paper 2 during the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Naijaonpoint reported earlier that students in parts of Benue State were forced to write the objective section of their English examination under dire conditions on Wednesday night, using phone torchlights and lanterns due to a prolonged delay in the delivery of exam papers.

The affected candidates had earlier completed the essay component of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) but were left waiting for several hours for the arrival of the exam officer with the objective section.

The delay stretched into the night, with some centres reportedly concluding the exams as late as 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28.

The examination council, however, in a statement issued on Thursday morning through the Acting Head of the Public Affairs Department at WAEC, Moyosola Adesina, acknowledged that it faced certain challenges.

It stated that while it successfully met its objectives, these challenges inadvertently affected the timeliness and smooth execution of the examination.

”While maintaining the integrity and security of our examination, we faced considerable challenges primarily due to our major aim of preventing leakage of any paper.

“We recognise the importance of the timely conduct of examinations and the impact of this decision on candidates, their schools and parents, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused,” WAEC stated.

“In spite of our best efforts, we encountered logistical hurdles, security concerns and socio-cultural factors that negatively influenced our operations,” WAEC added.