Maiduguri Collapsed Fence: Victims’ Parents Demand Action On Dilapidated Structures

Parents of the five children killed in the recent fence collapse in the Bulumkutu area of Maiduguri, Borno State, have asked the state government to fix all the dilapidated structures and substandard buildings in the state to avert future occurrences.

The incident occurred on 4th January, 2026, in the Bulumkutu area, where a fence collapsed on six children, resulting in the death of five of them, from ages eight to 16 years, while one survived with injuries.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP yesterday, one of the parents who lost two of his children in the incident, Usman Abdullahi, described it as an act of God, but challenged the executive secretary, Borno Geographic Information Services (BOGIS), Engr Adam Bababe, to act on dilapidated and substandard structures within the city to avert a similar disaster in future.

He said, “I was away from home when the perimeter fence collapsed and killed my two children. I was saddened by what happened, but I found comfort in God’s consolation.

“I returned to meet the lifeless bodies of the children on the floor. I joined neighbours and sympathisers to conduct their burial. Still, we were stopped by the police, who took the bodies to the hospital for autopsy before releasing them to us for burial. It was the following day that we buried them. It is an unfortunate incident that I wouldn’t even want my enemy to experience,” he said.

Another parent who lost a child in the disaster, Mohammed Abubakar, regretted that such a fence, despite its dilapidation for a long time, was not pulled down until the Incident occurred.

He similarly urged the state government to monitor such structures with a view to averting unwarranted loss of lives as was witnessed in the present incident.

LEADERSHIP reports that the incident has raised concerns over building safety in Maiduguri, especially during adverse weather conditions such as the rainy season and the harmattan, which is accompanied by strong winds. In July 2024, heavy rainfall led to the collapse of eight buildings in various parts of the city, displacing several residents.