Benue girls’ school relocates students after repeated hostel fires
St Winifred Girls Secondary School in Ihugh, Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State, has temporarily relocated its students to four other Catholic schools following repeated hostel fires and broader security concerns.
The relocation was announced in a notice dated October 17 after consultations involving the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Gboko and the Director of Catholic Education Services.
Students are expected to resume at their temporary schools on October 23.
Students moved to four Catholic schools
Under the temporary arrangement, Basic 7 and SSS 2 students will move to Queen of the Rosary Secondary School, Gboko, while Basic 8 and Basic 9 students will attend St Mary Girls’ Secondary School, Adikpo.
SSS 1 students are to continue at Our Lady of Apostles Girls’ Secondary School, Vandeikya, while SSS 3 students will move to Notre Dame Secondary School, Mkar.
The arrangement is temporary and will remain in place pending further decisions on the future of the Ihugh campus.
Four hostel fires recorded since October 2025
The Catholic Diocese of Gboko says student hostels at the school were affected by fires on October 28, 2025; May 10, 2026; May 15, 2026; and October 11, 2026.
The latest incident intensified concerns about whether students could safely remain at the school.
School authorities have said the repeated incidents disrupted learning and raised concerns about the safety of students and staff.
Wider security concerns in Ihugh
The diocese has also cited burglaries and other security incidents affecting Catholic institutions in Ihugh.
Those concerns formed part of the wider context for the temporary relocation and restrictions on some Church activities in the area.
However, the wider security incidents do not establish the cause of the hostel fires.
Cause of fires remains unresolved
The recurrence of the hostel fires is established, but their precise cause has not been publicly established through a competent investigative finding.
Some accounts have used stronger language suggesting arson or deliberate attacks.
IDNN is not treating those descriptions as established fact unless supported by findings from fire, police or other competent authorities.
Schooling continues under temporary arrangement
For students and families, the immediate consequence is disruption to schooling, boarding and travel arrangements.
The temporary relocation is intended to allow classes to continue while authorities determine whether the Ihugh campus can safely reopen.
No return date has been announced.
Safety questions remain
The unresolved accountability questions include what caused the repeated fires, what fire-safety and security measures were introduced after earlier incidents, whether investigations have produced findings, and what conditions must be met before students can return.
Those answers will determine whether the relocation remains temporary or develops into a longer-term arrangement.