Hemp smokers blamed as fire razes classrooms in Niger school

A block of classrooms at Limawa Day Secondary School, Minna, Niger State, was engulfed in flames on Thursday evening.

The fire was said to have been started by suspected hemp smokers.

The fire was swiftly brought under control by firefighters from the Niger State Federal Fire Service.

Eyewitnesses reported that a group of young boys often gathered in the school premises to smoke hemp.

One of the eyewitnesses, Ibrahim Mohammed, recounted how the fire started.

“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,” Mohammed said.

He added, “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 principal, Datti Dauda, confirmed the incident, explaining that he was alerted by a neighbour.

“I received a call from our neighbour, the headmaster, who told me that the school was on fire. I immediately contacted the fire service, and they responded promptly to extinguish the flames,” Dauda said.

While the exact cause of the fire remains unclear, Dauda ruled out electrical faults as the trigger.

“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,” he said.

Dauda estimated the damage at over ₦1.5 million, considering the cost of repairing the destroyed planks and other materials.

A senior fire service official, who spoke with PUNCH Online commended the swift response of his team.

“One of our officers raised the alarm, and we deployed immediately. It took us less than five minutes to arrive at the scene and put out the fire,” he said.

The authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant, especially during the harmattan season, to prevent similar incidents in the future.