How 2 children died in Jigawa fire
A fire outbreak in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, claimed the lives of two young children, while a separate incident later in the day was swiftly contained without casualties, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed. The NSCDC, Jigawa State Command, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, describing the incidents […]
A fire outbreak in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, claimed the lives of two young children, while a separate incident later in the day was swiftly contained without casualties, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed.
The NSCDC, Jigawa State Command, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, describing the incidents as both devastating and alarming.
According to the statement, the first fire occurred in the early hours of March 17, 2026, at about 4am in the Layin Dabinai area, near Masallacin Malam Babba in Gida Dubu.
The inferno, which cause is yet to be determined, reportedly spread rapidly and engulfed parts of a residential building.
Two children – a boy and a girl aged two and six years – both belonging to Aminuddeen Abubakar, a staff member of the Federal University Dutse, were trapped in the blaze.
Despite efforts by emergency responders, the intensity of the fire made rescue impossible, and the children were confirmed dead at the scene.
In a separate incident on Thursday afternoon, March 19, at about 12noon, another fire outbreak occurred within the same Gida Dubu area.
Preliminary findings indicated that the fire originated from an electrical spark in the kitchen of a resident, Nura Garba, popularly known as Dangwan Gwan.
The fire subsequently spread to nearby houses owned by Mu’azu Garba and Mohammed Aliyu, also known as Jaujen Hadejia, damaging parts of the buildings, including kitchens and roofing materials.
However, no lives were lost in the second incident, as firefighters responded promptly and brought the situation under control, preventing further destruction.
The NSCDC noted that investigations are ongoing to ascertain the exact causes of both incidents and to recommend measures to prevent future occurrences.