A block of classrooms at Limawa Day Secondary School in Minna, Niger State, was destroyed by fire on Thursday evening. The blaze is believed to have been started by suspected hemp smokers who frequently gather on the school premises.
Eyewitness Ibrahim Mohammed recounted that the group of young boys regularly smokes hemp on the school grounds. He noted that, due to the dry harmattan season, the risk of fire is higher. According to Mohammed, the fire was ignited after one of the boys dropped a burning cigarette butt in a classroom.
“The other day, we saw them smoking, and we made sure to leave quickly to avoid confrontation,” Mohammed explained. “This fire was likely caused by their reckless actions.”
The school’s principal, Datti Dauda, confirmed the incident, stating that he was alerted by a neighbor and immediately contacted the fire service, which responded swiftly to contain the blaze. Dauda ruled out electrical faults as the cause of the fire, suspecting it may have been sparked by intruders or encroachers on the school premises.
Although the exact cause is still under investigation, Dauda estimated the damage to be over ₦1.5 million due to the destruction of building materials.
A senior official from the Niger State Federal Fire Service praised the team’s quick response. “It took us less than five minutes to arrive at the scene and put out the fire,” the official said.
Authorities have urged local residents to stay alert, particularly during the harmattan season, to prevent further fire incidents.
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