Another fire guts UNIMAID hostel, second in 24hrs

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BY YUNUSA BUNU, NOVEMBER 7, 2021 | 10:14 PM


A second fire incident has been reported within an interval of 24 hours in the University of Maiduguri.

The first incident occurred yesterday at a girls' hostel, leaving three women injured.

Barely 24 hours after that, another occurred this afternoon, also in a female hostel, but with no casualty reported.

Confirming the latest incident, Prof. Danjuma Gambo, UNIMAID's spokesperson, gave the name of the hostel as Murtala Hostel.

He said the inferno, which the university suspects was a result of the use of kerosene by the students to cook in their rooms, was put out by men of the UNIMAID Fire Service.

'The students don't listen to the management. As a matter of policy to ensure their safety, we have warned against cooking in their various rooms; but they don't listen,' Prof. Gambo said.

He also said no student was hurt, but a few properties were affected.

Prof. Gambo also confirmed that the three students affected by yesterday's incident are responding to treatment, noting that one of them is already discharged from the hospital.

'The management takes complete charge of their bills and already, the parents of the remaining two have arrived and are with them in the hospital.

'Also, the vice chancellor, Prof. Aliyu Shugaba and other top officials of the university have visited the victims.'

The management, he noted, is already taking steps to forestall future recurrence.

YERWA EXPRESS NEWS has also reported a similar incident in an IDP camp located in Muna Garage, a settlement outskirts ot Maiduguri.

The camp was also gutted twice by fire within 24 hours. The first was equally yesterday, leaving over 205 makeshift tents burnt.

The second occurred today in the morning, also burning several undisclosed number of tents and properties.


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