In the early hours of Monday, a devastating fire swept through the home of Tijani Kabiru, a Customs officer attached to the Oyo/Osun Command, claiming his life, along with the lives of his wife and four children. The incident occurred in the Akankan Area of Ede, Osun State, leaving the local community reeling from the heartbreaking loss.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire broke out around 3 a.m., quickly engulfing the family’s residence. A neighbor, identified as Kola, shared his experience of the tragedy with PUNCH, stating, “I can’t say when the fire started, but we observed smoke there at about 3 a.m. The response time of the firemen was not bad, but the house had been badly affected before the fire could be subdued.”
Firefighters from the Ede Zonal Command, backed by a team from the Fire Service Headquarters in Abere, were alerted through a distress call at 3:21 a.m.
Despite their prompt arrival, the blaze had already caused irreparable damage. The victims, including Mr. Kabiru, his wife, and four children aged between three and ten, were found dead. Miraculously, a 13-year-old boy from the family managed to escape the inferno.
The Osun State Fire Service confirmed the incident, estimating the loss caused by the fire at approximately N200 million, while property worth N500 million was saved. The house, tragically situated on a street named after Mr. Kabiru, now stands as a somber reminder of the devastating event.
The remains of the deceased were handed over to officers from the A’ Division of the Nigeria Police Force, and investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
