About 140 pupils were safely evacuated on Saturday night after a fire broke out at Nooroh-Haq School in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
The incident occurred while Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris and members of his convoy were passing through the area and noticed smoke billowing from the school premises.
The convoy reportedly stopped, prompting an immediate evacuation of the children to safer locations within the state capital.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, Governor Idris said he initially mistook the smoke for burning tyres before realizing it was coming from a school building.
“We were passing by when I saw smoke coming out from the area. At first, I thought it was smoke from burning tyres. But after taking a closer look, I realised it was a school, and we immediately stopped to ensure the pupils were evacuated,” he said.
According to the governor, the school had over 140 pupils at the time of the incident, all of whom were moved to safety. He added that the presence of gas cylinders within the premises complicated efforts by firefighters to contain the blaze.
Emergency responders later extinguished the fire, while the governor and members of his team remained at the scene until the situation was brought under control. No casualties were recorded.
Following the incident, Governor Idris directed the immediate constitution of a committee to investigate the cause of the fire.