Residents blame smokers as fire destroys classroom in Niger

The fire was started Thursday night by suspected hemp smokers.

A block of classrooms has been destroyed by fire at Limawa Day Secondary School, Minna, Niger State, .

It was gathered that the inferno was started Thursday night by suspected hemp smokers.

A resident, Ibrahim Muhammed, narrated how the suspects’ careless actions might have sparked the blaze.

He said: “These boys always come here to smoke weed, and with this harmattan season, things catch fire easily.

“Yesterday, they dropped a burning butt in one of the classrooms, which eventually ignited the fire.

“We have seen them smoking here before, and it’s clear their reckless behaviour led to this unfortunate incident.

“The other day, some colleagues and I were here for a programme, and we saw these boys smoking.

“When we were leaving, we moved in a group to avoid any confrontation with them. This fire outbreak must have been caused by their reckless actions.”

The school’s principal, Datti Dauda, said he was alerted by a neighbour about the fire.

“I received a call from our neighbour, the headmaster, who told me the school was on fire.

“I immediately contacted the fire service, and they responded promptly to extinguish the flames.”

When asked if an electrical fault caused the fire outbreak, Mr Dauda said the affected part of the building had no electrical connections.

He said: “There are no electrical connections to that part of the building. My suspicion is that the fire may have been caused by some of the neighbours or intruders, as the school premises are encroached upon.”