Fire has razed down a block of two female hostels at the
Federal Government College, Keffi, Nasarawa State......
The fire, which started around 7.45 pm on Sunday and raged
on to Monday morning, reduced the entire structure to ashes.
“The students were in the dining hall when the fire started.
Books and properties of the students were all razed down, Nothing was removed,”
a senior staff of the school who begged for anonymity told NAN.
The source, however, said that no one was killed.
“One student, who did not go to the dining hall and was
sleeping in one of the hostels, was almost affected.
“Immediately she sensed the smoke, she jumped through the
window and sustained some slight injuries. No one else was affected,” said the
staff.
The source described the incident as “shocking and
devastating”, saying that it was the first in the history of the 18-year-old
school.
A NAN correspondent, who visited the school on Monday, saw
smoke still billowing from the rubble of the burnt hostels, while fear-stricken
staff and students watched from a distance.
Teachers, staff and prefects were seen trying to pacify and
calm the students, especially the distraught girls that lost everything in the
inferno.
A source told NAN that the incident was particularly
devastating to the unity school because first term examinations were expected
to have started on Monday.
“The first term examination was scheduled to start today,
but with this development, no one is sure of what to do next. We shall wait for
further directives from the Federal Ministry of Education,” he said.
Efforts to contact the Acting Principal, Alhaji Babatunde
Usuma, were not successful as he was said to have traveled to Kano for the
annual meeting of Principals of unity secondary schools, while calls to his
line kept ringing out.
Vice Principal (Academic 2), Mr. Gideon Gutap, however, told NAN, via a text message, that
the school was yet to take a decision on the next line of action.
“Parents will be communicated in due course,” Gutap stated.
He said that no one was hurt, adding that a meeting was
ongoing to consider the next line of action.
Officials of the Parents Teachers Association were invited
to the emergency meeting chaired by Mr. Ezekiel, Vice-Principal (Academy 1).
NAN
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