The morning of Sunday, March 15 is one that residents of Nigeria’s Abule Ado town in the outskirts of the country’s largest city, Lagos, wish to forget. But for the Catholic Church in the West African country, it is a day that they will remember for the selfless act of a Catholic nun who gave her life while saving school girls in a fire that razed down at least 50 houses, injuring and killing residents in its wake.
Statistics on Monday, March 16, indicated that those who lost their lives in the Sunday inferno at Abule Ado town were 17, including Sr. Henrietta Alokha, the Principal of Bethlehem Girls High School, who died while rescuing girls at the school.
A statement by Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins of the Archdiocese of Lagos seen by ACI Africa confirmed that a female security guard at the school perished in the fire, alongside Sr. Henrietta, a member of the Religious Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart (SSH).
“Yesterday, Sunday 15th March 2020, there was a massive explosion at the Abule Ado area of Lagos which led to the collapse of many structures in the affected areas … Unfortunately, the Administrator of the school, Rev. Sr. Dr. Henrietta Alokha SSH and one female security guard died in the process of ensuring that the students were safe,” said Archbishop Adewale in the statement dated Monday, March 16.
He added in reference to the nun who sacrificed her life in the morning inferno, “Sr. Henrietta Alokha SSH and other staff that died have paid the supreme price in their bid to lead all her students to safety. May their souls rest in peace.”
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Reports have indicated that Sr, Henrietta rescued all the students that were trapped in one of the buildings at the school before the roof of the building caved in on her.
“She (Sr. Henrietta) had tried saving the children under her care, and went back to save more before the roof caved in on her. Most of the students have been accounted for, with minor cuts and injuries, whilst some whose injuries were more severe are at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Ojo,” Nairaland.com reported Sunday, Match 15.
Archbishop Adewale said the fire incident occurred while students at the school were attending Holy Mass and that “the priest who was celebrating the Mass helped in rescuing the students and he himself is safe.”
According to the Nigerian Prelate, all the students were rescued and some that were injured were rushed to the hospitals.
He added, “The other students have been released to their parents and gone to their different homes. We want to state that all students of the school were reported safe.”
