Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins

The Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins said on Monday that all the students of Bethlehem Girls College  were rescued and those injured were rushed to the hospitals.

Adewale Martins disclosed this in a statement obtained by Political Economist Magazine on Monday.

He noted that the other students have been released to their parents and gone to their different homes. “We want to state that all students of the school were reported safe. Those who sustained injuries were promptly attended to in various hospitals within the environs”.

According to the statement, “We are getting our Education Department along with the Administrators of other
Archdiocesan schools to see how the students of Bethlehem Girls College can be accommodated in the other schools so that their education is not disrupted”.

“Unfortunately, the Administrator of the school, Rev. Sr. Dr. Henrietta Alokha SSH and one female security guard died in the process of taking care that the students were safe. Sr. Henrietta Alokha SSH and other staff that died have paid the supreme price in their bid to lead all her students to safety. May their souls rest in peace. It is important to confirm that no priest died during the incident”.

Bethlehem Girls College, before and after the explosion

The priest who was celebrating the Mass helped in rescuing the students and he himself is safe. Unfortunately, the S ta ff quarters, Administrative Building, the refectory and hostel buildings were levelled to the ground as a result of the impact of the explosion with no essential building standing except the convent housing the nuns in charge of the school”.

The Archbishop commended the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Nigeria Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigerian Red Cross, the various Security Agencies for their prompt response which ensured that the situation did not get worse.

He thanked the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his call to express the sympathy of the Government and for setting up a Committee to investigate issues surrounding the explosion.

He however commiserated with the families of all those who died in this sad incident. “We pray for the repose of the souls of the departed and the quick healing of those who were injured. We pray the Lord to provide for the needs of all those who lost their properties, in the sad event”, he said.