Lightning Strike Fire Destroys School Building in South-Western Nigeria

A primary school building in Igbemo, Ekiti State, south-western Nigeria, has been destroyed by a fire ignited by a thunderstorm.

The blaze at Saint Peter’s Primary School on Sunday consumed the five-classroom block after a lightning strike reportedly started a fire during a heavy downpour that lasted for over an hour.

Following the incident, teachers at the school relocated the pupils to a nearby school, AUD Pilot Nursery Primary School, on Monday morning to ensure their education could continue.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, visited the affected school on Monday and pledged to rebuild the destroyed structure promptly so that the pupils could return to their original school.

Representing the governor, the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, expressed her sadness at the incident and the disruption it caused to the pupils’ education.

“The structure razed down will be rebuilt in due course so that the pupils and teachers can heave a sigh of relief after the fire incident,” she said.

“I am saddened by this fire caused by a mysterious thunder strike. Though the structure had been burnt, we are happy that no life was lost, because it happened when the pupils and teachers were at home.”

Mrs Afuye praised the swift action of the school authorities in relocating the pupils to a nearby facility, highlighting the commitment of the State Universal Basic Education Board to the children’s education.

She assured them that the building would be reconstructed to its original state so that the pupils and teachers could return to their school “in no distant time.”

During the visit, teachers at AUD Pilot Nursery And Primary School also raised concerns about some residents dumping refuse and defecating within the school premises. Governor Oyebanji ordered an immediate end to these unhygienic practices.

He expressed concern that allowing such activities to continue could expose the pupils to infectious diseases.

The Education Secretary for the Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, Mrs Adesola George-Ojo, suggested that completing the perimeter fencing around the school would help prevent open defecation on the school grounds.

She said the school had been struggling with these issues for some time and that it was crucial to stop such unhygienic practices to prevent the spread of diseases within the school and the wider community.