A late-night fire outbreak at the Kwara State University of Education, Ilorin, was swiftly brought under control on Friday, January 30, 2026, following the prompt intervention of the Kwara State Fire Service.
The incident, which occurred at about 9:14pm, affected a block of four offices being used as storage facilities, with three of the offices impacted by the fire. Firefighters, however, prevented the blaze from spreading to critical facilities, including the Biology Laboratory and nearby buildings.
Confirming the development, the Public Relations Officer and Head of the Media Unit of the Service, PFO Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, said the quick response of officers on duty helped to significantly limit damage.
“Although documents, files and academic journals stored in the affected offices were damaged, many important records were successfully recovered due to the timely arrival and coordinated efforts of our fire crew,” Adekunle stated.
Preliminary findings by the Service indicated that the fire was likely triggered by bush or undergrowth burning allegedly set by an unknown person, which later spread to the building.
Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Chief Fire Superintendent Alabi Muhammed, warned against indiscriminate burning of bushes, particularly within and around school environments.
“This incident is a reminder of the dangers associated with uncontrolled bush burning. Institutions and members of the public must ensure undergrowth is cleared safely and buffer zones are maintained around buildings,” Muhammed said.
He also advised educational institutions to store sensitive documents properly and install basic firefighting equipment to reduce losses during emergencies, while urging residents to promptly alert the Fire Service whenever a fire outbreak is noticed.
The Kwara State Fire Service reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives, public infrastructure and property across the state through rapid response and continuous public safety sensitisation.
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