Two children were declared missing yesterday following Tuesday night’s fire which razed Houses 1 and 3 on Odunsi Street in Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos Mainland.
The kids are aged one-and-a half and three-year old. Two others aged two and three years old were injured.
Many of the residents returned from work to meet their homes on fire.
They ran helter-skelter as they sought their neighbours’ help to quench the fire.
The fire, which started few minutes past 8pm, was said to have seen caused by gas explosion. A woman was said to be using a cooking gas when it exploded.
But Delta State-born Chinedu Okolie, who lost all his properties, N276, 000 cash and certificates to the fire, said it was caused by candle light.
Okolie, a Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) National Diploma (ND) I student, said the woman lit a candle, which sparked the fire on contact with fuel allegedly stored in her apartment.
The fire razed 13 rooms on 3 Odunsi Street and eight rooms of House 1.
Damilare Adebayo, son of the late owner of House 1, said he was woken up by thick smoke around 8:30pm. By the time he opened his window to see where it was coming from, fire, he said, had engulfed everywhere.
The businessman said: “It started around 8:30pm; thick smoke was coming from a room in front of my window while sleeping; the smoke was too much. So, I had to check. Immediately I opened my window and peeped through it, I saw that somebody was using a little gas to cook; before we could raise the alarm, the smoke had turned to fire because the gas exploded.”
Adebayo, whose wedding is billed for next month, said he lost everything he bought for the event.
“I and my fiancée just returned from market on Monday where we shopped for our wedding stuff; everything is gone including some cash, we could not rescue a single pin,” he said.
The residents’ efforts to fight the fire with detergent and water were unsuccessful, he said.
“The fire fighters arrived 30 minutes after the fire started; they came with a complaint that they don’t have enough water, so they used what they had to fight the fire but they were not able to do much,” he said.
Adebayo pleaded with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to assist the victims.
According to Okolie, his primary and secondary schools certificates, YABATECH admission letter and safety training certificate went with the fire.
“It’s unfortunate I wasn’t at home when it happened, I’m also working with an oil and gas firm in Apapa. I came in this morning and met my room razed. I would have assisted to reduce the damage if I was around due to my training in fire fighting,” he said.
Another resident, Donatus Nwanya, said he could only retrieve some of his clothes, and slippers.
“I don’t live here with my family; I was outside; only came in to take my bath and I saw fire. It started from three rooms before my own and the occupant was not around when the fire started. Government should help us because we have nowhere to go this time around and no place for people to sleep. I lost a lot of property about a million naira plus. Two kids (two years and three years) were injured; they are in the hospital”.
The Nation learnt that the fire fighters were attacked for “coming late” and complaining of “shortage of water.”
According to the Community Development Association (CDA) chairman, Mr Christopher Fadipe, the driver of the fire fighting truck was injured on the right ear.
When pandemonium broke out, the community leaders called the Divisional Police Officer of Itire Police Station who sent some of his men to the scene.
“When the police came, the boys attacked them too; they wounded the driver of the fire fighting vehicle and cut his ear. They also injured some of the policemen; as at last night (Tuesday), the DPO later called me and told me that they were looking for two of his men.
“I went to the station earlier today (yesterday), I saw the DPO because he couldn’t go home yesterday. He said he had already taken those injured to the hospital,” Fadipe said.
Father of four Moshood Oloto, who lives on 3 Odunsi Street, said two of his children are missing.
He said one-and-half-year-old Taye and three-year-old Aisha got missing after the incident.
Oloto said: “I wasn’t around when it happened, on entering my street around 8:30pm; I learnt that some houses had gone up in flames, not knowing mine was there. On getting home, I saw fire everywhere; I had to take the other building by climbing the fence. I joined them in putting out the fire and started looking for my children. When I got to my apartment, the fire has not touched it; I struggled to enter but the smoke was thick. To my surprise I couldn’t find any of my children; suddenly the ceiling caught fire, so I had to run for cover. It was when I came out that I saw one of my children (the eldest among them). I was a bit relieved seeing him, I asked him about the whereabouts of his siblings. He told me he and my second born carried them one each out of the building. I was happy to hear they were out of the building. So I told him to sit while I looked for the others. I could only find two of them since yesterday (Wednesday). My wife’s mother came to take her away this morning because she has been crying about her missing children. We saw two, the two others are still missing.”
