 |
| IGP, Adamu |
October 27
is a day residents of Ilara Community in Ogijo area of Sagamu Local Government
Area of Ogun State, will never forget in a hurry.
That was the
day a family of eight was wiped out after their generator exploded in the
middle of the night.
Among their
five children that died, were two sets of twins.
The explosion
was said to have occurred at about 9p.m. on that fateful day. Our correspondent,
who visited the community on Monday, discovered that many of them were still
reeling in shock.
The
Community Development Association Chairman,
Mr. Michael Adeagbo
said that the incident was unfortunate.
Adeagbo
explained that none availability of power in their community forced majority of
them to make use of generating set.
He said that
because many are used to the constant blackout, whenever they are returning
from their different places of work, they buy fuel on the way. They buy the
fuel in a nylon bag or a gallon. When they get home, they pour it into their
generators.
This was
exactly the scenario that played out on that Sunday. The deceased, Adeshina
Sikiru, on that day returned from work early. But on his way home, he stopped
to buy fuel inside nylon for his generator.
Adeagbo
said: “I immediately he got home, his twin children, who had been waiting for
his arrival, rushed out to welcome him. They all went into their apartment. He
locked their iron door from inside and went to the lobby to pour the fuel into
the generator. The distance from where
Sikiru was pouring the fuel into the generator was about five meters away from
where his wife was cooking on a stove. While pouring the fuel, it spilled and
streamed to where his wife was cooking. The next thing we heard was a loud explosion
from their apartment. It was neighbours that were closest to them that raised
the alarm.”
Adeagbo said
that immediately they heard the explosion and alarm, everyone made a beeline for
the direction of the Sikiru’s burning house. They tried to rescue couple and
their children, but the door was firmly locked from the inside.
Adeagbo
recalled: “When we tried to enter into their apartment, the door was locked
from inside. When we couldn’t go through the door, we forced our way through
the window. I was shocked to discover that three of their children had died. We
believe that Sikiru locked the door because he brought some money home. He
didn’t want robbers to come into his house to rob him of the money. The wife,
Kemi, their first daughter, Fathia and four-year-old Kehinde were rescued through
the window. The three of them were quickly rushed to a private hospital in
Ikorodu.”
Adeagbo said
that when they got to the hospital, the three patients were rejected and
referred to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba Mushin. When
they got to LUTH, they were told there was no bed space. They then drove to
Gbagada General Hospital, where they were accepted and admitted.
The
residents were plunged into mourning the following morning, when they received
a phone call from the hospital that Fathia and Kehinde had died.
While this
was going on, Sikiru had also been rescued from inside the toilet where he went
to hide.
“He was
badly burnt to the extent that we couldn’t touch him. We were able to
rescue their second child, Saheed, from where he was hiding unhurt,” said Adeagbo.
The CDA
chairman added that, while some people were at the hospital making efforts to
save the life of the wife, those of them at home were also making effort to
take Sikiru to Gbagada General Hospital.
The chairman
said: “We later got to the hospital around 2a.m. He was admitted and given
treatment. I was shocked when I received a phone call that Sikiru had died on
Wednesday October 30. We were taking his remains home for buried and were
already at Ogijo, when we received another phone call from the hospital that his
wife had given up the ghost. That was how we made a U-turn, returned to the
hospital to evacuate the remains of the wife. We buried the two of them close
to each other same day in their house. We have handed over the surviving son to
their relatives. We’re appealing to wealthy individuals and government to help
the boy.”
A resident, Mr.
Saheed Are, said that when he heard a noise coming from the direction of deceased’s
house, he had initially thought the couple was fighting. It was when he got
there that he discovered their house was on fire.
He recalled:
“When I sighted the fire, I rushed to the door, thinking to wrest it open, but
it burnt me. I was the first person that got to the scene. When I couldn’t
rescue them alone, I started screaming, calling on other neighbours to come and
help. When we finally gained access into their sitting room, it was
through the window. Three of the children were already dead. Their bodies were
on the floor of the sitting room.
“Kemi gave
birth to twins twice. I was shouting that Sikiru should come out, that was when
I saw Fathia and Kehinde lying on a sofa. They were still breathing; we
rushed them to hospital. The cloth the deceased wore when he was pouring the
fuel into the generator burnt beyond recognition. As a community, we made
several efforts to save their lives but God knows best. Since I have been
living in this community, we have not witnessed this sort of incident before.
We’re still in shock.”
Another
resident, Mr. Ajibade Aremu, noted that it was only God that knew why a family
of seven died in such a manner.
Aremu said:
“On the fateful day of the incident, when I heard the explosion, I thought it
was oil bunkerers. It was when I came out, that I saw people running towards
the house of the Adeshina’s. When I eventually got to the scene, after seeing
the remains of the children in the fire, I couldn’t bear it. I decided to leave
the house because they were lovely children. The fire that wiped out father,
mother and five children is shocking. Since I was born, I have not witnessed
such an incident in my entire life.”
A woman, who
simply identified herself as Mrs. Adewale, a close friend of Kemi, said: “On
the fateful day of the incident, Kemi and I went to visit a widow. When we left
the widow’s house, she told me she was going to a party; I should take care of
the twin at home. When I got to their home, their eldest daughter, Fathia, was
not at home. Their second child, Saheed, told me she went to plait her
hair. I prepared food and we all ate. It was getting late and I decided
to go and check Fathia. As I got outside, a motorcycle brought her and we both
went back into their apartment.
“When I
didn’t see their mother on time, I called her on phone. She said she was at the
bus stop, waiting for motorcycle that would convey her home. About 30 minutes
later, she arrived. We both sat on an uncompleted building, discussing until
her husband arrived. I left and went into my house. An hour later, I heard loud
noise from their apartment. I was listening to a programme on radio when I
heard another cry from a woman. I immediately dashed out of my house. When I
got outside, I saw a thick smoke. Before I could get to their house, rescuers
had brought out Fathia and the little Kehinde. They were both totally burnt.
Somebody volunteered his car to rush them to hospital. I was with little
Kehinde at the hospital when she gave up the ghost. I’m still in shock. The
family and I were together on that day and just within a few hours, they were
all gone! I have not been able to sleep since then. Each time I close my eyes,
I see the children, even in my dreams. It will take time before that incident
would be erased off my mind. The woman was close to me.”
Mrs.
Temitope Olalere, whose building was close to the deceased’s house, said when
she saw the fire, she thought it was explosion from oil bunkerers, unaware that
it was the Adeshina’s house that was on fire.
She said:
“It was the shout of Kemi, screaming for help that woke me. That was how she
came to join Saheed to call on other neighbours so as to rescue them all.”
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