BAPTISM OF “YULETIDE” FIRE IN NIGERIA’S LAGOS, ONDO, OGUN, EDO AND RIVER STATES

Burning Tanker in Benin,City,Edo State

Obasanjo's Hill Top Mansion

LAGOS STATE, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA                                                                                                         It started, like the popular cliché “wild fire” and before you know it, goods and property worth billions were destroyed. I am talking of Fire that ripped through Jankara market in Lagos Island, Nigeria’s largest city Wednesday (Boxing Day) morning. Atleast  30 people were injured while one life was lost. Some reports have it that the huge explosion which rocked a building storing fireworks started when a small boy ignited a firecracker popularly known as ‘knockout,’ which hit some of the stocks of unsold fireworks in the building. The blast and fire led to panic in the densely packed area of Lagos, a city of some 15 million people, with residents jumping from windows to flee and others salvaging goods from their shops in the market’s neighbourhood. That happened in the morning hours. At about 5pm the same day, fire caught up with a building at Fola Agoro in Somolu area of the same Lagos razing down the top floor of a building. Lagos State Fire Service team was able to put out the fire but not before all personal effects on the floor was lost. The cause of the fire was not clearly identified as eyewitnesses said it was caused by an electrical spark while others said it was caused by cooking gas. No casualty was recorded as residents of the building, which is reportedly owned by Alhaji Fola Agoro, were said to have travelled for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

AKURE,ONDO STATE,SOUTHWEST NIGERIA                                                                        As Lagos was counting her loses, fire had earlier in the day visited a Radio station in Akure, Ondo State; Positive FM .The fire was reported to have started around 6:40am. It affected the Engineering Department where facilities were destroyed. According to the General Manager of the Station, Rev. Olusegun Ayankoso, the fire would have engulfed the entire station but for the vigilance of officers on

duty. He said the fire was caused by a power surge from one of the sockets. It affected an Automatic Voltage Regulator, air-conditioners, electrical cables, audio cables from the studio and the station’s Internet facilities. Ayankoso said the station had opened for operation before the incident, but “the timely detection of the fire saved the entire station from being gutted by it. “We were able to put out the fire with the assistance of workers on duty before the arrival of the Fire Service men,” he said.

BENIN CITY,EDO STATE,SOUTHSOUTH NIGERIA                                                                  In Edo State, Mr Kingsley Ohangbon met his death as he was trying to rescue his bus from fuel tanker fire explosion. It was gathered that the commercial bus driver died in a fire accident that engulfed a tanker conveying fuel on the Murtala Muhammed Way when it had a break failure. It was gathered that the bus driver was trapped in the fire when he was trying to evacuate his bus, which was eventually burnt beyond recognition. The tanker was heading towards Esigie Junction area of the ancient city when the incident occurred. It was also said to have gushed out fuel for over 20 minutes before the inferno started, living the neighbourhood in fears and consuming about 17 vehicles and five motorcycles. The driver of the tanker and the conductor were said to have been taken to an undisclosed hospital in Benin.

PORT HARCOURT, RIVER STATE, SOUTHSOUTH NIGERIA                                                                         No fewer than 10 buildings were yesterday afternoon, razed in Rumumasi in Obio/Akpor Local Area of Rivers State, destroying property worth millions of naira. Mostly affected by the fire outbreak were locked-up stores and a few residential houses. However, no casualty was recorded. The incident, which occurred at about 2 pm left scores of residents homeless and in pains. It was gathered that the explosion started as a small fire, which residents used fire extinguishers to quench, until a cooking gas cylinder in one of the residential apartments, exploded and spread fire all over the place. Like in the case of Fola Agoro’s fire, they explained that the victims of the fire were mostly people, who had already travelled  for Christmas celebration.
 ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA                                                                                                                     

In Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State,  firemen fought very hard  to save the hill top mansion of former Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo from being razed by fire which started at about 4.30pm yesterday. However,  only a section of the massive building was destroyed along with some property and documents. Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out from the office of the Principal Secretary to the former President, destroying vital documents relating to the private and official duties of the former President. The rooftop of the section was also damaged. The fire was reported to have started as a result of electricity surge.