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Two injured in Agege inferno



A woman and a young boy on Tuesday sustained injuries after electricity surge sparked inferno at Orile-Agege, a Hausa community in Lagos.

The fire which started at about 6am, was said to have raged for several hours destroying shops, houses and wares.

It was gathered that a high tension cable fell on a residential building where cooking gas was on and it escalated the fire.

Lamenting their losses, victims said fire service officials told them they did not have water when they called them to contain the inferno.


 
A woman, Iya Mariam, who said she visited her mother, told The Nation that a lot would have been salvaged if the agency responded in good time.

She said: “My mum grinds pepper in that compound where the fire broke out. I came to visit my mum there. I woke up in the morning to get my child set for school and the next thing I heard people screaming that a room was on fire.

“In no time, it escalated to other rooms. They went to call fire service but those ones said they do not have water, how can that happen? “Majority of our things are gone. Few people sustained injuries. We do not want the compound to be taken from us, the government should help us by building a better one.”

Mrs Sherifat Aderigbigbe, a pepper grinder blamed fire service for not doing their job well, saying they have been made to suffer and rendered homeless.

A trader Bolanle Babatunde said he ensured he evacuated his children while they kept calling and waiting on the fire service.

Mallam Abdullahi, an Imam said he was praying when the fire started, adding that he lost most of his goods.

According to the President, President Arewa United (Consultative Forum), Alhaji Shuaibu Ado, said the fire spread from room to room as soon as the cable fell, adding that people fled abandoning their valuables.

“People started shouting fire, fire and they ran leaving their goods and properties inside. No life was lost but we are pained now because we have lost millions of properties and money to the fire outbreak.

“We are appealing to the government to come to our aid and give the Hausa boys shelter. They are now stranded, everything they worked for has gone down the drain. Now that there is no alternative for them tonight, they would all sleep on the road.

“Those who live here are those who are financially not upright, so they cannot even go out to rent an apartment.”

Seriki Hausa Alhaji Aminu confirmed no life was lost in the incident, blaming the outbreak on electrical surge.

“I received a distress call early this morning that when light came on, it sparked and affected a shop. In the process of putting out the fire, the whole thing escalated and affected other areas.

“Two persons sustained injury, a woman and a young boy and have been rushed to the General Hospital Agege. No life was lost.

“Due to the damage caused already, we are considering giving the place to a developer to develop. We allowed the Hausa boys to sleep here, we built rooms for the Hausa boys so the ‘omo onile’ people will not tamper with the land.

“Most of the Hausa boys are workers here. A lot of agencies came to our rescue, the police, fire service, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) and Civil Defence. They all collaborated to ensure the situation was brought down to a minimal level,” he said.