No fewer than 24 families have been rendered homeless while property worth
millions of Naira was destroyed, in Lagos State, after fire gutted a building
situated at Ijeh Police barracks, in Obalende area of the state.
According to eye witnesses accounts, the fire involved a bungalow building made up of 24 self contained apartments, all partitioned with woods which later turned out to ignite the fire.
According to eye witnesses accounts, the fire involved a bungalow building made up of 24 self contained apartments, all partitioned with woods which later turned out to ignite the fire.
Some of the victims mostly policemen, were asleep when a power surge occured in one of the rooms.
Although no casualty was recorded during, but some of the victims were yet to settle down.
Sources
hinted that Police authorities have stepped into the matter asking some of them
to squat with their neighbours for the time be.
An eye witness who pleaded anonymity said the fire
erupted as soon as power was restored to the after few hours of darkness in the
barracks.
The incident was confirmed by both state and federal fire services who said they responded to the incident after a distress call around 4.30am.
Director Lagos State fire services Razaq Fadipe, said Onikan and Sari-Iganmu stations battled the inferno with 10,000 litres of water each in conjunction with their federal counterpart.
Fadipe also said a rifle was recovered in one of the rooms which was immediately handed over to its owner.
The incident was confirmed by both state and federal fire services who said they responded to the incident after a distress call around 4.30am.
Director Lagos State fire services Razaq Fadipe, said Onikan and Sari-Iganmu stations battled the inferno with 10,000 litres of water each in conjunction with their federal counterpart.
Fadipe also said a rifle was recovered in one of the rooms which was immediately handed over to its owner.
He said:''No casualty was recorded so far but a
rifle was recovered in one of the rooms and handed over to its owner.”
information officer of National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye said that accessment of victims would commence any moment from now.
Yesterday's incident occured barely eight months after the visit of Lagos State Police Commissioner Umaru Manko after a similar incident in the barracks.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident around 5pm, some occupants were busy packing the remains of their property.
One of the victims Mrs Maureen Francis, said the fire started barely one hours after she was in bed. “I own a restaurant here in one of the blocks where I sell drinks and pepper soup and I was here till around 2.30am, before I went to bed with my children.
“ it was not up to thirty minute that I and my children entered to sleep that the noise of fire, fire rented everywhere. If not because I and my family rushed out of our block, we would have been trapped inside.”
Otobo added that,” all what I and my husband had laboured for had gone down in the fire, even the little freezer I was using in selling my drinks had been destroyed.”
She however, called on the Inspector General of Police to come to their aid in the barrack, we are suffering here. She pointed to our correspondent ‘look at where human being is sleeping”, we want better welfare package for our husband.''
Another victim of the incident Mr David Ofrie said” I and my siblings were inside our room when we suddenly heard our neighbour shouting fire! Fire ! and we all rushed out of our room for the fear of being caught by the fire.
“We have lost all our house hold appliances to the inferno, the wreckage of our burnt properties is what you are seeing the scavengers taken away; we don’t know where to start from now.”
“We want the police authority to come to our rescue in this barracks, what my mother is earning as a police woman cannot take her anywhere, that was why we still remain in this place.”
Ofrie also said” the environment of the barracks is not conducive for us; we are not safe in this place, if epidemics broke out here today, nobody is secure.”
Other victims of the incident who did not their names in print also said “as we speak, we are still in shock, because we were fast sleep when we heard the shout of fire, and before we knew what was happening, the building was on fire.
Yesterday incident was the second fire outbreak in the barracks withing a space of eight months as a similar incident was said to have occured on December, 17, 2013.
One of the residents who also spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that after we have waited without responds from the police authority, those whose buildings were affected rebuilt the house by themselves after an endless wait for the government.
information officer of National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye said that accessment of victims would commence any moment from now.
Yesterday's incident occured barely eight months after the visit of Lagos State Police Commissioner Umaru Manko after a similar incident in the barracks.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident around 5pm, some occupants were busy packing the remains of their property.
One of the victims Mrs Maureen Francis, said the fire started barely one hours after she was in bed. “I own a restaurant here in one of the blocks where I sell drinks and pepper soup and I was here till around 2.30am, before I went to bed with my children.
“ it was not up to thirty minute that I and my children entered to sleep that the noise of fire, fire rented everywhere. If not because I and my family rushed out of our block, we would have been trapped inside.”
Otobo added that,” all what I and my husband had laboured for had gone down in the fire, even the little freezer I was using in selling my drinks had been destroyed.”
She however, called on the Inspector General of Police to come to their aid in the barrack, we are suffering here. She pointed to our correspondent ‘look at where human being is sleeping”, we want better welfare package for our husband.''
Another victim of the incident Mr David Ofrie said” I and my siblings were inside our room when we suddenly heard our neighbour shouting fire! Fire ! and we all rushed out of our room for the fear of being caught by the fire.
“We have lost all our house hold appliances to the inferno, the wreckage of our burnt properties is what you are seeing the scavengers taken away; we don’t know where to start from now.”
“We want the police authority to come to our rescue in this barracks, what my mother is earning as a police woman cannot take her anywhere, that was why we still remain in this place.”
Ofrie also said” the environment of the barracks is not conducive for us; we are not safe in this place, if epidemics broke out here today, nobody is secure.”
Other victims of the incident who did not their names in print also said “as we speak, we are still in shock, because we were fast sleep when we heard the shout of fire, and before we knew what was happening, the building was on fire.
Yesterday incident was the second fire outbreak in the barracks withing a space of eight months as a similar incident was said to have occured on December, 17, 2013.
One of the residents who also spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that after we have waited without responds from the police authority, those whose buildings were affected rebuilt the house by themselves after an endless wait for the government.
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