By: Ahmed Rufa’i
A dark cloud hung over the usually joyous Eid-el-Fitr celebration in Dutse, Jigawa State, as a staff member of the Federal University Dutse (FUD) lost two children to a devastating fire outbreak just hours before Sallah.
The heartbreaking incident occurred at Layin Dabinai in the Gida Dubu Housing Estate, throwing the community into mourning at a time meant for festivity and thanksgiving.
Eyewitness accounts said the fire engulfed the residence while the children were inside, leaving them trapped with no chance of escape.
Confirming the tragedy, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state, ASC Badruddeen Tijjani, disclosed that two separate fire incidents were recorded in Dutse on the same day.
According to him, “The first fire occurred at Layin Dabinai, near Masallacin Malam Babba, where a building was engulfed in flames. Two children belonging to a staff member of the Federal University Dutse were trapped in the blaze.”
He added that a second fire outbreak was swiftly brought under control due to the prompt intervention of firefighters, preventing further damage.
Tijjani noted that the cause of the inferno remains unknown, stressing that investigations are ongoing to determine what led to the incidents.
He conveyed the condolences of the NSCDC command to the bereaved family and urged residents to adhere strictly to fire safety precautions to avert similar tragedies.
The incident has cast a pall of grief over the Dutse community, as residents who had prepared to celebrate Eid now grapple with shock and sorrow.
