It was penultimate Monday evening at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) when all lectures had ended and students were retiring into their hostels. Suddenly, a moving vehicle burst into flame. Pandemonium ensued. Students ran helter-skelter as they feared it might be a terrorist attack from Boko Haram sects.
It was a university commercial vehicle with registration number LM 162 AAA. It had five occupants on board. Whatever caused the fire could not be immediately ascertained but some students in the cab said it may not be unconnected with a spark in the engine of the vehicle. The fire raged for more than an hour. The incident happened at the roundabout between Moremi Hall and Mass Communication department.
An eyewitness told CAMPUSLIFE that the officials of the Fire Service department of the university located about 150 metres from the scene did not respond to the distress call “until the fire got out of hand”. The fire fighter reportedly told students that they had no water in their tank. “When the firemen eventually responded, they came with some funny fire extinguishers that could not stop the raging fire. So, they were prevented by angry students,” a Mass Communication student, who was at the scene of the fire, told our correspondent.
A deputy Dean of Student Affairs (DSA) who came to the scene could not control the students who were asking the fire fighters to “go away”. A student, who was at the fore front of the protest, claimed that the university official wanted to hand him over to the policemen that came with the fire fighters. But the Deputy Dean denied the allegation, saying he was only setting “dialogue in motion.” The students, who sustained injuries while trying to put out the fire, insisted that the deputy DSA was trying to get them arrested.
The driver of the vehicle almost committed suicide as he attempted to re-enter the burning car, which was acquired through hire purchase. CAMPUSLIFE gathered that it took the efforts of passerby who were mostly students, to put out the fire, but the vehicle was completely burnt.
The owner of the vehicle allegedly collapsed at the sight of the damage . He was said to have been rushed to the hospital. None of the occupants was injured in the incident.
It was a university commercial vehicle with registration number LM 162 AAA. It had five occupants on board. Whatever caused the fire could not be immediately ascertained but some students in the cab said it may not be unconnected with a spark in the engine of the vehicle. The fire raged for more than an hour. The incident happened at the roundabout between Moremi Hall and Mass Communication department.
An eyewitness told CAMPUSLIFE that the officials of the Fire Service department of the university located about 150 metres from the scene did not respond to the distress call “until the fire got out of hand”. The fire fighter reportedly told students that they had no water in their tank. “When the firemen eventually responded, they came with some funny fire extinguishers that could not stop the raging fire. So, they were prevented by angry students,” a Mass Communication student, who was at the scene of the fire, told our correspondent.
A deputy Dean of Student Affairs (DSA) who came to the scene could not control the students who were asking the fire fighters to “go away”. A student, who was at the fore front of the protest, claimed that the university official wanted to hand him over to the policemen that came with the fire fighters. But the Deputy Dean denied the allegation, saying he was only setting “dialogue in motion.” The students, who sustained injuries while trying to put out the fire, insisted that the deputy DSA was trying to get them arrested.
The driver of the vehicle almost committed suicide as he attempted to re-enter the burning car, which was acquired through hire purchase. CAMPUSLIFE gathered that it took the efforts of passerby who were mostly students, to put out the fire, but the vehicle was completely burnt.
The owner of the vehicle allegedly collapsed at the sight of the damage . He was said to have been rushed to the hospital. None of the occupants was injured in the incident.
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