The Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC), led by Regional Minister Alhaji Ali Adolf John, has ordered the partial closure of the Northern School of Business (NOBISCO), directing specific cohorts of students to return home.

This follows a fire outbreak that destroyed the school’s girls’ dormitory on Wednesday afternoon.

Announcing the decision, Alhaji Ali Adolf John outlined a phased plan for the student body.

"Looking at the circumstances surrounding us, we have no option but to ask all second-year students to go home," he stated.

"Third-year students who are heavily affected will also go home. The remaining third-year students will be moved into the second-year dormitory."

The Minister provided a clear timeline for the students' return.

"Third-year students will return by Sunday. The rest of you will return on the 8th of February."

The decision follows a rapid assessment of the extensive damage caused by the blaze, which gutted the dormitory housing students from the Aggrey, Arthur, Ali, and Gbewaa houses.

While firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service battled the inferno for several hours before bringing it under control, the building and virtually all its contents, including beds, mattresses, books, uniforms, and personal belongings, were lost.

• Read also: NOBISCO fire outbreak displaces about 900 students

No casualties were reported, as the fire broke out while students were in class. However, distressed students reportedly rushed back to the burning building in a frantic attempt to salvage their possessions as the flames spread.

The directive aims to manage the immediate accommodation crisis and trauma while authorities plan remediation. School authorities and regional officials are now focused on executing the relocation plan, investigating the cause of the fire, and preparing for the students' phased return.