Official records, including files, documents, and journals, were destroyed on Friday night when fire ravaged offices used as stores at the Kwara State University of Education, Ilorin.

The blaze, which broke out around 9:14 pm, affected three of the four offices in the building. Some students reported that the institution's biology laboratory was also impacted.

Daily Trust reports that the facility was previously the Kwara State College of Education before its conversion to a university by the state government.

The fire is suspected to have started from dry bushes set alight by an unidentified person, which then spread to the building.

Confirming the incident on Saturday, Kwara State Fire Service spokesperson Hassan Adekunle said firefighters responded swiftly and prevented the inferno "from spreading to the institution's Biology Laboratory and other nearby buildings".

He disclosed that several important files and records were recovered and saved during the operation.

Adekunle stated that the Director of the service, Alabi Muhammed, advised institutions and the public to stop indiscriminate bush burning, especially around school premises.

He further urged institutions to adopt safe vegetation clearing methods, maintain buffer zones around buildings, store sensitive documents securely, and provide basic firefighting equipment to minimise losses in case of fire outbreaks.

The Kwara State Fire Service reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.