A block of classrooms at Limawa Day Secondary School in Minna, Niger State, was engulfed in flames on Thursday evening, allegedly set by suspected hemp smokers.
Firefighters from the Niger State Federal Fire Service responded quickly to bring the blaze under control.
Eyewitnesses reported that a group of young boys frequently gathered on the school premises to smoke hemp. One witness, Ibrahim Mohammed, detailed the incident, saying, “These boys often come here to smoke weed, and with the harmattan season, the risk of fire is heightened. Just yesterday, they dropped a burning cigarette butt in one of the classrooms, which eventually ignited the fire.”
He added, “Recently, some colleagues and I were here for a program, and we saw these boys smoking. We left in a group to avoid any confrontation. This fire outbreak is likely a result of their careless behavior.”
The school principal, Datti Dauda, confirmed the incident, stating he was informed by a neighbor. “I received a call from our neighbor, the headmaster, informing me that the school was on fire. I immediately contacted the fire service, which responded swiftly to extinguish the flames,” Dauda recounted.
While the exact cause of the fire is still uncertain, Dauda dismissed electrical faults as a potential cause. “There are no electrical connections in that section of the building. I suspect the fire may have been started by neighbors or intruders, as the school grounds have seen encroachments,” he noted.
Dauda estimated the damage to exceed ₦1.5 million, factoring in the costs of repairing the destroyed wooden structures and other materials.
A senior fire service official praised his team’s rapid response, saying, “One of our officers raised the alarm, and we were able to deploy quickly. It took us less than five minutes to arrive and extinguish the fire.”
Authorities are urging residents to stay vigilant, particularly during the harmattan season, to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
