The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has extended its sympathy to Saint Academy, Jos, over the death of some of her students and staff who were trapped in the school’s two-storey building that collapsed on Friday.

The student body condoled with the families and loved ones of those affected by the “catastrophic incident”, while also calling for a thorough investigation into the cause of the building collapse to hold those responsible accountable.

NANS President, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, said the devastating incident was unacceptable because students and staff members do not have to live in fear while in the school environment.

The two-storey building which collapsed on Friday, at Saints Academy, located at the Busa-Buji community of Jos North Local Government Area was reported to have claimed the lives of 22 people with  132 sustaining various degrees of injuries.

Emonefe said: “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those affected by this catastrophic incident.

“As advocates for the well-being and welfare of Nigerian students, NANS calls for the deployment of stringent safety measures and mechanisms to be put in place to prevent unfortunate events like this from happening in the future.

“It remains unacceptable that students and staff members have to live in fear while in the school environment.

“We urge the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the building collapse and hold those responsible accountable.

“Building codes and regulations must be strictly enforced to ensure that all educational institutions are safe and secure for students and staff.

“NANS stands in solidarity with Saint Academy and all those affected by this tragedy. We will continue to push for better safety measures to protect the lives of students and prevent such incidents from happening again,” the statement said.