By DAVID IORJA, Abuja –
President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives after fire enveloped a primary school in Niamey, Niger Republic, killing more than 20 children.
In a message to President Mohammed Bazoum, the government and people of Nigeria’s northern neighbour, President Buhari described the fire incident leading to the death of the mostly three to five year olds as “heart wrenching and extremely horrific.”
In the message, released in Abuja by Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant (Media & Publicity), Buhari said: “On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, we commiserate with our brotherly neighbours on this tragic loss.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families and communities affected by this unfortunate incident. Wishing quick recovery to those who were injured.”
Officials in Niger Republic had on Wednesday explained how 20 nursery school children died on April 13, 2021 in a fire that trapped them in straw-hut classrooms.
According to the country’s head of fire service, Col. Bako Boubacar, “there were 20 deaths, most of them young children.”
While Boubacar said the origin of the fire in Niamey was unknown, an official of a Niger’s teachers union said the school in the popular Pays Bas neighbourhood had around 800 students, including children in the nursery section.
“The fire apparently started around the school gate. Without an emergency exit, many were trapped and students were forced to scale the wall to escape.
”Those that died were mostly children in the preschool,” Mounkaila Halidou said.
A report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), quoted an official of the Nigerien governments as saying that authorities had arrived at the scene and launched an investigation.
