By Michael Olugbode
The Shalom Nursery and Primary School owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Damaturu, Yobe State, has been razed by a mysterious fire.
Eyewitnesses told THISDAY that the fire started from the primary school block wreaking havoc on the books and desks in the class, burning the entire block down.
Addressing journalists on the incident, the Head Teacher of the school, Mrs. Kemi Bature, said the staff and management of the school were still confused and could not yet determine the cause of the fire.
She said the school uses a prepaid electrical billing system, and always switches off the entire electrical system in the school anytime the pupils are not in school.
The head teacher lamented that the fire that erupted at about 2p.m. last Monday has caused a serious damage to the entire school block, the children’s books and other school records that amount to millions of naira.
Bature also stated that the fire was detected by some of the neighbours who alerted a teacher before they contacted the state firefighting department.
THISDAY gathered that the police explosive detectives had visited the school to comb the area for any possible explosive or any inflammable item that might have ignited the fire.
Also speaking on the incident, the Pastor in charge of Yobe State Province of the RCCG, Pastor David Ipinmoroti, said the fire incident at the Shalom Nursery and Primary School was not ordinary.
However, he said based on strange occurrence that recently happened at the school, which has been in existence for 10 years, they cannot be forced to believe that the school may have been torched by some forces.
According to the pastor, “On April 20, 2021, we were called by one of our members, that a female coordinator of an Islamic school took some Almajirai into our uncompleted property at Sabon-Pegi area of Damaturu. When we got there, she was sweeping the floor, and immediately we challenged her, she hurriedly left the scene with the Almajiri children numbering over 20.
“We went to meet her in her school, where she told us that one retired police DPO, one of the parent her students, asked her to possess the place. She said the man told her that money have been paid to RCCG for Muslims to possess the auditorium with gallery with over two thousand capacity.
“That same day, we wrote a complaint letter to the state Commissioner of Police, and four days after, the CP called us with the woman and the former DPO who gave her the place, and after interrogation, they begged us to forgive them for trespassing into our property.”
He however described what happened on May 3, 2021, as unfortunate.
