Over six family members lost their lives in an inferno that razed down the residence of a Customs officer, Tijani Kabiru at the Akankan Area of Ede, Osun State.
Kabiru was reportedly attached to the Oyo/ Osun command.
The incident which claimed the lives of Tijani, the owner of the house, his wife, and four of his children, left residents of the area who could not control their emotions, in a state of sobbing, mourning, and weeping.
The cause of the fire at the time of filing this report, remains unknown
Eyewitnesses described the scene as harrowing, with the blaze engulfing the entire household before emergency responders could intervene.
A neighbour simply identified as Kola, who witnessed the tragic event, said, “I can’t say when the fire started, but we observed smoke there at about 3am.
“The response time of the firemen was not bad, but the house had been badly affected before the fire could be subdued. Kabiru, his wife, and four children were already burnt to death. But one of the children escaped.”
According to Kola, firefighters from the Ede Fire Station were promptly contacted after smoke was detected.
However, by the time they arrived, the fire had already consumed much of the house.
While confirming the incident, the spokesman for the Osun State Fire Service, Ibraheem Adekunle, shared a statement signed by the Director of the Service, Mr Olaniyi Alimi.
The statement reads, “We were informed of the incident via a distress call to our emergency number 08030808254 at 3:21 a.m. Our team from Ede Zonal Command proceeded to the scene, with a backup team joining from the Fire Service Headquarters in Abere.
“The address of the fire incident is Customs Tijani Kabiru Road, Akankan Area, Ede North LG. The street was named after the deceased, who was a Customs officer from the Oyo/Osun Command.
“Mr. Tijani Kabiru, reported to be in his late 40s, and his wife, said to be in her early 40s, lost their lives alongside four of their children—three boys and a girl—aged between three nd 10 years. The estimated loss from the inferno is around N200 million, while property worth N500 million was saved.”
The lone survivor, a 13-year-old boy, miraculously escaped the blaze.
The remains of the deceased were handed over to officers from the A’ Division of the Nigeria Police Force.
