In what would have been a tragedy Wednesday evening, a student hostel, D47, at the Kano Campus of the Nigerian Law School went up in flames.
While no life was lost in the fire incident, the students however, lost some of their valuables which include books and clothes among others, to the inferno.
Blueprint gathered that the source of the fire which occurred about one hour after the end of the day’s lecture, was yet to be known as at the time of this report.
It was blame game as both the students and the staff members of the campus passed buck on who was responsible for the lapses that led to the incident.
While the management blamed the students for using contraband items like pressing iron, boiling ring, among other items, the students also faulted the authority’s poor maintenance culture, leaving the infrastructure which had spanned several decades with visible signs of dilapidation.
Besides, some claimed the cutting and burning of dry grasses by the campus workers may have been the source of the fire, but this could not be confirmed.
But, our reporter, who spoke with a student on the telephone, gathered that the facilities accommodating the students at the campus were unkempt and dilapidated.
It was further gathered that most of the bungalows used to accommodate the hostels were old structures used as Bagauda Lake Hotel, and constructed over 40 years ago during the late Abubakar Rimi’s administration.
Rodents, snakes, scorpions, lizards and reptiles were common sights, which our source said the management described during the orientation for the students as “friends of the community and harmless, but only strike when disturbed in their natural habitats.”
It was further gathered that complaints from the students over the poor state of the facilities fell on deaf ears.
Although the management blamed students for using contraband electrical appliances, the students, nonetheless, accused the authority of carrying out unwholesome environmental infractions like burning the lawns, and not clearing the drainage of debris among others, saying this may have been the reason for the fire.
The school was yet to react to the development, as the Deputy Director-General of the Kano Campus of the institution, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed, was said to have travelled to Abuja headquarters of the Law School Thursday morning.
Similarly, Director of Academics, Dr. Precious Ahiarammunnah, was also said to have gone to court, just as Head of Students Affairs, Hajiya Fatima S. Taiga, was also said not to be available.
She was said to have gone to make a formal report to the Police, while a staff in her unit said she was not permitted to speak to the press.