By Olaitan Ibrahim
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday condoled with parents, guardians, and families who lost their loved ones in a fire incident that engulfed an Islamic school in Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State.
Tinubu conveyed his condolences in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled, ‘President Tinubu mourns Zamfara Islamic School pupils, says safety should be uppermost to proprietors.’
The fire at the Tsangaya school (Almajiri school) claimed the lives of 17 children and injured 15 other pupils.
The statement read, “President Tinubu commiserates with the state government and owners of the school and prays for the quick recovery of those receiving medical attention.
“The President enjoins all public and private schools to prioritise children’s safety and security at all times and directs regulatory authorities in the education sector to ensure compliance with safety standards.”
The Zamfara State Police Command had earlier confirmed the death of the 17 Almajiris and 15 others seriously injured in the devastating fire incident.
The state Commissioner for Police, Mohammed Shehu Dalijan, said the fire broke out around 2:00 AM on Wednesday due to burning corn stalks, engulfing the shelter where the pupils were asleep.
“We received the sad incident that some Almajiri pupils have lost their lives in the inferno while they were asleep,” he said.
The teacher in charge of the Almajiris, Malam Aliyu Abubakar Khalifa, said the fire started past midnight but was quenched by the people of the area.
He said, “I suddenly heard shouts of ‘fire, fire!’ and rushed outside to find about 30 pupils struggling to escape.
“All efforts by the firefighters to control the fire proved abortive because they had no functional equipment,” said Khalifa.
He explained that the local volunteers and police officers worked together to contain the blaze and rescued some of the affected pupils.
According to him, out of approximately 100 Almajiri pupils in the hall, 17 were burnt to ashes, while 15 others sustained injuries.
“It is a great loss, but we accept it as the will of Allah,” he said.
The Zamfara State Fire Service confirmed the incident through the Principal Fire Superintendent, Muhammad Gakadi.
In an interview, Galadi confirmed the casualties and attributed the delay in fighting the fire to technical issues with their firefighting equipment.
The people of Kaura-Namoda town, which is the second largest city in the state, have been left in shock by the tragedy, as residents still mourn the young Almajiris.