The Lagos Campus of Law School on Victoria Island on Wednesday night was gutted by fire, leaving five persons reportedly hospitalised.
The fire, suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault on the first floor of a five-storey building within the campus was said to have started around 10:10 pm.
The students of the school who are living on the upper floor of the building were said to be running in different directions to save their lives should the fire spread.
According to an eyewitness account, as reported by some media outlets, the fire came with a big bang. There was a stampede in the hostel. A student jumped from the first floor where the fire started near the reading room. Other students ran out from their rooms stark naked.
However, the fire was said to have been immediately put out by the school security officers, who quickly switched off the main power supply before the arrival of the state firefighters some minutes later. So, it did not spread beyond the point of the outbreak on the first floor.
Confirming the incident, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mrs Margaret Adeseye told Tribune Online that truly, there was a fire outbreak at the school but it had been put out before the officers of the agency arrived at the scene.
Speaking through the Public Affairs Officer of the agency, Mr Sakiru Amodu, the director said the fire incident was a minor one and the men of the agency didn’t see any injured person at the scene nor receive any report from the school that anybody got injured in the incident let alone hospitalized
She said it was surprising to now read on social media that a certain number of persons including an old woman who claimed to be a cleaner, were seriously injured and now taken to hospital.
According to her, the school chief security officer was on the ground with our men and he never mentioned to us that anybody was injured in the incident.
“So, the fire incident wasn’t that serious and that was why the school security officers were able to put it out even before our officers got there.
“And even at that, our men also waited for some time to ensure danger was completely averted in the whole premises before leaving,” the director stressed.
Also contacted as one of the government agencies that always respond to such incidences in the state, the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), said it was not aware at all if such incident happened at Law School or any other place near the school.
The Public Relations Officer of the agency, Mr Nosa Okubor told Nigerian Tribune on Thursday that the agency did not receive any distress call concerning a fire outbreak at Law School as if it was that serious the agency would certainly be notified.
He said he was at work since morning and even at the emergency operating room at the time he was speaking with our correspondent around 4.30 pm.
Okubor also reconfirmed the claim from all his colleagues in the office at the time if any of them was aware of the incident with none in affirmative.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…BBNaija 2020 housemate. BBNaija 2020 housemate
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…BBNaija 2020 housemate. BBNaija 2020 housemate
and then