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Tag: fire victims

  • Lagos tanker fire: VICTIMS’ RELATIVES STORM HOSPITALS

    Whereabouts of toddler, driver unknown
    Mass burial for victims likely

    Family members of the victims of Thursday’s tanker fire outbreak on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway yesterday besieged government hospitals in search of loved ones.

    This was just as a source hinted on the possibility of mass burial for the deceased victims of the explosion, given the terrible conditions of the bodies.

    It was gathered that all the bodies were burnt beyond recognition while a good number were dismembered by rescue equipment.

    An official involved in the rescue operation, who said the bodies were taken to Mainland General Hospital, Yaba, told our correspondent yesterday that although the state government was yet to take a decision in respect of the burial arrangement, mass burial for deceased victims could not be ruled out.

    The official said: “I really do not know, but the possibility of mass burial cannot be ruled out. People who are complaining about not seeing their loved ones, is it completely burnt bodies they want to see?

    “The bodies are not recognisable. If there will be DNA, the government will decide on it and make a pronouncement.”

    Our correspondent, who visited the Trauma Centre of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja and the General Hospital at Gbagada, Lagos, observed a lot of people making enquiries on the whereabouts of their folks.

    Some of them faulted government’s claim that only nine persons died in the incident, insisting that many people, including school children, were yet to be accounted for.

    Although officials at the Trauma Centre and LASUTH claimed that neither dead nor injured victims were brought to the premises, it was learnt that five injured persons were transferred from the former to Gbagada General Hospital.

    Our correspondent gathered that while two men were moved to the emergency ward of the hospital on Thursday night, a woman named Mrs. Ade Shittu, a bus driver identified as Wasiu Olaitan and another unidentified man were transferred to the hospital yesterday morning.

    Mrs. Shittu, almost covered in bandages at the female ward, said the explosion occurred in less than a minute.

    According to her, the fire caught up with her while she was trying to run away from the scene.

    She said: “I am a civil servant and had closed from work. I was in a commercial bus on my way home when the incident occurred. I cannot really say what happened but we heard a loud noise and people were running.

    “I got burnt while I was running away from the bus. I thank God that I am alive. Five of us were brought here this morning (yesterday). I do not know where the other four are.”

    A husband to one of the victims told our correspondent that he counted 67 burnt vehicles at the scene of the incident on Thursday night, adding that he trekked from Berger to the Trauma Centre in search of his family member.

    He said: “It is not true that only 54 vehicles got burnt. I counted 67 vehicles. I trekked from Berger to the Trauma Centre and back.

    “Yesterday was a terrible day but I thank God my wife survived it. I pray for God to comfort those who lost loved ones in the unfortunate disaster.

    “I cannot say the number of people that died, to be honest. Most of the bodies were dismembered. Others have been burnt and turned into small objects. Those escalation equipment were carrying up charred bodies, so, how can they be counted?

    Olaitan’s wife, Fadiat, said her husband sustained minor burns on the arm, adding that she was yet to see him.

    Another relative, who declined her identity, told our correspondent that she was not allowed access to her husband.

    She said: “We have been in this hospital since morning that they brought them here, but the workers would not allow us in. They were brought in from the Trauma Centre.

    “My husband was seriously burnt. At the Trauma Centre, they took care of them before bringing them here. You can see the number of people outside. We have not been allowed in.”

    Similarly, a family took to social media to search for their three-year-old son, Eyitayo, yet to be found after the inferno.

    According to the poster, Mrs. Funmi Balogun, Eyitayo was in the car with his twin sister, Eyitoke, their mother and driver when the incident occurred.

    Balogun, who posted the boy’s picture on her Instagram page, fabrics_n_more, wrote: “He was involved in the unfortunate tanker accident with his mother, twin sister and the driver at Otedola Bridge yesterday (Thursday) evening.

    “They were a few cars away from the tanker when the explosion occurred. The driver, Mr. Joseph, carried Eyitayo while the mother escaped with Eyitayo’s twin sister, Eyitoke. The whereabouts of Eyitayo and Mr. Joseph are still unknown as all efforts to trace them at the scene of the accident yielded no result. Anyone with information should please call 08033148161 or approach the nearest police station.”

    Contacted on telephone, Balogun told our correspondent that she did not have enough information on it, adding that she was told the driver fell while they were running.

    She said: “We have not seen them. They are not back home. The mother handed over the boy to the driver, Joseph, while she held the girl. They were behind the tanker and had to abandon their vehicle. We are looking for them.”

    Asked if they had gone to the Trauma Centre or the Police to register a complaint, Balogun gave our correspondent’s mobile number to her brother, Seye Famojuro, presumably the kid’s father, who said he did not want to speak to the press.

    A family friend of the distraught mother, who identified himself simply as Mr. Goodluck, said the three-year-old twins were returning from school with their mother when the incident occurred.

    Goodluck said: “I know them. They are three-year-old twins returning from school with their mother.

    “According to the mother, when they got to the spot where the accident occurred, they saw the fire, the mother carried the girl and the driver took the boy.

    “The mother said while she was running ahead, she looked back and saw the driver fall down with the boy.

    “She carried the girl to a safe place and came back to the spot and the fire had got there. But she believes that the driver and her son must have left the spot within the time she managed to take her daughter to a safe place and came back.

    “But up until now, we are still looking for them. I have checked all the hospitals in this area.

  • We’ve been left to bear our losses alone -FESTAC fire victims

    We’ve been left to bear our losses alone -FESTAC fire victims

    Victims of the December 13, 2017 FESTAC diesel tanker fire that consumed over two dozen vehicles, furniture amongst others recount their losses. They also lament the fact that the police have yet to unravel the identity of the tanker driver or owner, six weeks after. Gboyega Alaka who recently visited the scene, reports.

    It was like Armageddon. So witnesses say. Roaring balls of fire; vicious fumes and flames; explosions upon explosions, as heat from diesel fire engulfed all combustible within reach. The array of exotic second-hand cars otherwise known as tokunbo cars on display just before the foot of the FESTAC-Mile 2 Link Bridge drew the most emotions, as they got engulfed, exploding in succession, as each got heated beyond tolerable temperature.

    The presence of an array of well-finished furniture on display at a furniture shop closer to the bridge did not help matters. It literally accelerated the speed of the fire, creating thick poisonous fumes that made the most daring onlooker take to their heels. Practically, the little bag and box shop sandwiched in-between the car mart and furniture shop stood no chance, as the beautiful traveling bags and boxes promptly disappeared in the fire.

    Witnesses say three commuter buses also went up in flames, just as six motorcycles turned to charred skeletons of metal and brass within minutes.

    At the end of the fire fury, victims counted their losses. Thankfully, no lives were lost. Fire fighters eventually quelled what was left. With 21 cars burnt, the car mart suffered most. This may not necessarily include a couple other cars, which frontal casings were all melted, and engine partially burnt. A Ford Escape XLT and a Toyota Highlander stood out in this category. Even a truck van deep in the yard suffered partial burns. The dealers say they would require huge sums to put them back in shape.

    Bridge closed for repair

    The right side of the FESTAC end of the bridge also suffered greatly. As a result, that portion had to be closed to vehicular activities. That leaves the Lagos State government as co-casualty.  Mr. Chen, a Chinese official of the construction firm, CCECC working on the repairs said told this reporter in his hardly comprehensible English that the repair of the two damaged pillars will take seven months. But one of its Nigerian staff, said even the seven months duration is dependent on the test being carried out on the third pillar. If it is confirmed to be damaged, then work will have to go on for much longer time. Inevitably the general public also suffers, as only the left side of the bridge is left for use, leading to monstrous traffic gridlock; especially at peak hours.

    Wednesday like no other

    The above were consequences of the vehicular mishap that took place on the afternoon of Wednesday December 13, 2017. A fully loaded 33,000-litre diesel tanker was said to have suffered mechanical hitches, as it ascended the bridge from the FESTAC end, falling off in the process. The ensuing spill and explosion turned the place into a roaring theatre of fire.

    It was less than two weeks to Christmas and none of the victims imagined they would suffer such huge loss – not at that time of the year; not at any time. The furniture maker/dealer at the foot of the bridge, as a matter of fact, said he had laboured hard to complete several sets of exotic furniture in readiness for the demands that normally come with that time of the year. Same for the box seller. He had also stocked up just a few days before. The same may also be said of the car mart. A car dealer on the same First Avenue – not one of those affected, said dealers usually get more supplies in December from Nigerians who come home from Europe and America on holidays.

    Counting the losses

    A visit to the scene of the accident last week, showed visible relics of the disaster. The car dealers are yet to evacuate the carcasses of the burnt vehicles – possibly, so there wouldn’t be arguments about the number of burnt vehicles. The furniture man had nothing on ground – understandably so. His portion remains cordoned-off by the construction workers. However, the box seller has reclaimed his space. He only came back a day before, he told this reporter.

    The car dealers, about six of them, sat in a shed chatting. If they still rue their loss, this reporter could hardly tell, but it’s been six weeks anyway. One of them, Aaron Uzor said life has to go on notwithstanding. He personally lost six cars worth about N21million. Another colleague, Oliver Okwocha said he also lost something in the region. More painful is the fact that the vehicles affected were some of the most expensive in the mart.

    “You know we normally display the best cars outside to attract customers.” Uzor said.

    Culprit driver yet to be traced

    Uzor said the most painful aspect of the whole thing is the inability of anyone, not even the police to yet trace the driver or owner of the tanker that triggered the accident. Although he admitted that he isn’t the one following the case with the police, he volunteered that the police are yet to come up with any finding on the whereabouts of the vehicle, driver or owner. He wondered why it had to take so long to trace a vehicle owner’s identity despite the chassis and engine numbers. “In truth the tanker was burnt beyond recognition, even the number plate, but I believe that the police should be able to trace a vehicle owner through its engine and chassis numbers – the same way they use them to trace stolen vehicles. I believe that’s why every vehicle is supposed to be registered.”

    Asked if the car mart was covered with any kind of insurance policy, Uzor said, “We don’t have insurance. This is because people give us these vehicles to sell for them; sometimes they even come back and take them. But people have told us that we could insure the whole park and when a car is sold or the owner comes to take it, we could remove it from the number of cars covered. So we are considering that now.”

    They are also looking up to the Lagos State government and the Amuwo Odofin Local Government to help assuage their losses, while hoping the police would come up with something. “We have appealed to the Lagos State government and they have accepted our appeal. They requested for our tax clearance evidence, land use charge, business premises fee, dealers permit and co and we are already putting these together. So we believe there is hope in that regard.”

    For me, there was no Christmas – Box seller

    Charles Onuoha lost 67 boxes in the fire. He had stocked up for the coming Christmas and end of the year travelers, so he felt really hard hit. As a result, he said: “There was no joy in my house this Christmas.”

    His sadness is compounded by the fact that there has been no reprieve in sight. He also had no insurance cover, and is only hoping that the police will someday soon uncover the identity of the tanker driver and owner. In the absence of that, the only possible reprieve would be from the (Lagos State) government, if they decide to be charitable.

    He said he never felt any need for insurance – not for mere traveling boxes, until the accident. “The police say they have not been able to locate the driver or owner of the vehicle. Can you imagine that? And this is almost two months after. What that means is that we have been left to suffer our loss all alone.”

    Psychologically, Onuoha said “It was a big shock and I’m yet to fully recover. I have never in my life experienced such a thing. In fact, I thank God that I’m still alive.”

    Family-wise, he has been hard hit and said he just been managing to keep his family together. “I am married with two kids; as we speak, I am yet to pay my children’s school fees. I told the school management to give me some time; good enough they are aware of the incident and are showing understanding.

    “To show you how bad it is, I only re-opened this shop yesterday (last Tuesday). The fire lapped up everything. I had 67 boxes in stock in readiness for Christmas/New year sales. Even my container shop was completely destroyed. I had to look for money to build a new one. As for my supply, I reached out to my importer suppliers and one of them only granted me what you see on display on credit. When I sell, I will make remittance.”

    I lost 30 sets of furniture – furniture maker.

    Anyone familiar with that axis would surely remember the vast furniture always on display by the foot of the bridge. Abiodun Rotimi Sunday is the man behind it. He cut a picture of somebody really deflated. His sagged shoulders and sober mien gave him away even before he introduced himself.

    “I lost 20 sets of furniture already finished and on display for sale. I also had ten other sets from colleagues that I was to help them sell; you know this is a very conspicuous location. Put in cash, everything should run into the region of N10million. Don’t forget it was the Christmas season and sales are usually on the high side because of people who would be moving into newly completed houses or who want to give their living room a new look.”

    Abiodun said he was away at Mushin market, where he had gone to buy materials, when he got a call about the incident. Instantly, he rushed back, but there was nothing he could do. “I couldn’t dare get close to the fire. It was bare-faced fire at its fury. People actually said it was milder, that it would have been worse and probably crossed over to the other side of the road, if it were petrol fire. But for me, that was enough fire; a fire that could destroy a bridge and ruin so many cars all in one swoop.”

    Now he and his wife and five kids survive mainly on the benevolence of his church. “It is the church that is supporting me. I don’t even know how I can cope with paying school fees.” He said.

    About Christmas, Abiodun said, “Christmas was not good. We just managed through it.”

    He is also saddened by the fact that the police are yet to find the tanker driver or its owner. He has also made a statement at the police station and joined other victims in soliciting for government’s assistance, but as at the time of speaking, nothing concrete has emerged.

    Of the three major casualties, Abiodun is the only one yet to fully commence business. His former spot remains cordoned off by the construction company handling the bridge repair. He said he is considering approaching them to see if he could resume there. If that does not work out, he would manage with a colleague not far away, until the construction company concludes its work.

    He also never considered insurance. But he confessed that this is an eye-opener.

    He could not understand why the police have not been able to trace the identity of the tanker driver or owner. “What I heard was that the driver of the tanker took the number plate and bolted away the moment the accident happened – you know they have a habit of putting it just behind their windscreen rather than fixing it to a vehicle like most people do. But they should be able to get the chassis number from the burnt tanker and unravel the identity of the driver or owner. I think the police should henceforth compel drivers to affix their number plates to their vehicles.”

    Investigation ongoing – Police

    The Divisional Police Officer at FESTAC Town, CSP Obong John Okon, while responding to a pointed question of why the police have not being able to unravel the identity of the driver or vehicle owner, said investigation is ongoing.

    His response, “Investigation is in progress. So you are wrong to say that we have not being able trace the owner of the vehicle. You can only say that if we tell you that we have concluded investigation.”

    When reminded that it was six weeks after and that the investigation is taking rather long, Okon said “There is no limit to the duration of investigation as long as the police have not come out to say that they have concluded the investigation.”

    He however referred this reporter to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, who corroborated Okon’s statement.

    Speaking on phone, Oti said investigations are on. He said the tanker was totally burnt and that it has been difficult piecing together any information from the vehicle. He said the insinuation that the police got the chassis and engine number from the vehicle was mere here-say. He however insisted that the force’s crime investigation men are still scooping up details from the scene of the accident and will in due course uncover the identity of the vehicle driver and owner.

  • Buhari condoles with Kano market fire victims

    Buhari condoles with Kano market fire victims

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday commiserated with the victims of the fire outbreak in the popular Singa Market in Kano.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, was said to be deeply saddened by the destruction of very valuable goods and properties in the inferno.

    Stressing that the President shares in the pain and anguish of all hardworking Nigerians who lost their wares and belongings in the unfortunate fire incident, the statement said that the President assured those who suffered losses from the fire incident that the Federal Government will do all within its powers to support the efforts of the Kano State government to ameliorate their plight.

  • Fire victims get new hostels

    Fire victims get new hostels

    Four weeks after fire gutted the Okeke Hall of Residence at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), the occupants have been relocated to new hostels, report JAMES OJO andMERCY OGUJI (300-Level Mass Communication).

    The Okeke Hall of Residence at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) was gutted by fire two days before Christmas. The two-storey female hostel went up in flame, flowing a power surge. No fewer than 32 rooms were razed and prosperity worth millions of naira destroyed.

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Benjamin Ozumba, promised to assist the affected students, who were then on Christmas break, on resumption. Last week, the school management allocated alternative accommodation to the students, few weeks after the school resumed.

    According to a statement by Dean, Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof Peter Akah, the management felt the students’ pains and deemed it necessary to relocate them to three hostels.

    The statement said the students were allotted bed space on first-come-first-served basis. The students, it added, presented their original online allocation papers and identity cards that enabled management to relocate them to Nkrumah Hall, Mary Slessor Hall and Zik’s Flat Hostel.

    Some of the students, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, hailed management for the development, saying things have been tough since they returned.

    Ugochi Okechukwu, a 100-Level English and Literary Studies student, said  management’s decision took them by surprise.

    Her words: “The management has done its best by giving us another hostel. It is a good development we have been relocated. They did not leave us hanging around in the school, looking for accommodation and trying to pair room with friends. We are surprised by the school decision.”

    Reliving her experience in her new hostel, Ugochi said it had been difficult for her to cope, because of water shortage and erratic power supply. Besides, the distance of the hostel to her department, she said, is another challenge. She urged the management to address the challenges.

    Another victim, Chinazo Eze, a 200-Level Biochemistry student, said she did not believe another hostel would be given to her. “I had given up on the,” she said, adding: “I am happy for the new bed space given to me.”

    Chinazo described her new hostel as “quite annoying” because of the state of the facility, but said: “l have got to move on.”

    Ogbonna Chidera, a Sociology and Anthropology student, said: “I don’t know what to say, but l am happy that they gave me a new hostel.”

    While the fire victims have settle down in their new accommodation, some have urged the school to compensate them for their documents and properties lost in the inferno. A 300-Level Economics student, who identified herself as Adaeze, said allocation of new hostels to the fire victims was not enough to compensate the students.

    She said: “Most of them had travelled when the incident happened, so they could not evacuate their properties while their rooms were being razed. I expected the school to compensate them, because some of them lost vital documents. The school should be commended for allocating new hostels to them, but I believe the students deserve more.”

    When CAMPUSLIFE visited the Okeke Hall, all occupants had been evacuated, leaving the building uninhabited. Although not all rooms in the building were affected in the incident, management believes the structure may have been weakend by the fire.

    Before the incident, the institution was battling with accommodation challenges, because of large numbers of students that applied for limited spaces. The university has a total of 5,645 bed spaces to accommodate over 15,000 students.

    The situation, Prof Akah said, made it practically impossible to accommodate all students desiring accommodation on campus.

    The DSA added: “The accommodation problem is worsened by the complete collapse of Zik’s Flats, which ordinarily can accommodate all freshers. Also, Mbanefo Hostel would have accommodated up to 1,064 students. The available bed spaces have been rationed, with freshers given preference over their senior colleagues.”

    He said the university was ready to partner landlords in the host community to ease the burden of accommodation facing students.

  • Evacuation of Anambra tanker fire victims ends

    Evacuation of Anambra tanker fire victims ends

    After last Sunday’s tragic tanker accident, a team of agencies has finally moved all the bodies to a teaching hospital in Nnewi, as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo visits. NWANOSIKE ONU reports

    One phase of the tanker horror is over: evacuation of bodies.

    Five days ago, a petrol-laden tanker exploded at the busy Upper Iweka Roundabout in Onitsha, Anambra State’s commercial hub. Casualty figure varied, depending on who you talked to, but many held that about 70 people perished in the disaster.

    Some have dubbed it a Black Sunday. As soon as the tragedy happened, evacuation of the dead became a pressing need. The Red Cross and other agencies and first responders teamed up to move the bodies out of fire scene to the hospital. The process continued from that Sunday up till Tuesday when it was confirmed that the bodies were taken to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, the state’s industrial town.

    It was a horrible day for everyone in the state and beyond. Officials of als the Federal Road Safety commission (FRSC), Red Cross and even passersby had a hectic day.

    •One of the victims at the hospital
    •One of the victims at the hospital

    Anguish was spread; thousands wailed. Bodies were mangled, many charred and fire fighters, for the first time in the state, worked overtime trying to save some lives.

    With evacuation wrapped up, another phase has begun: taking care of the injured and relatives of the dead.

    Anambra State government led the way in responding to relatives of the victims. Governor Willie Obiano said the government would foot the bill of patients in the hospital. He also banned trucks from plying the roads in the daytime.

    On Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari sent his deputy Prof Yemi Osinbajo to Anambra to felicitate with the state and people. The Vice President also said the Federal Government would help relatives of the victims.

    The vice chairman of the Red Cross, Prof Peter Katchy, who spoke with The Nation, said 70 people died in the incident. FRSC’s head of operations in Onitsha, Obinani Ezekannagha, said they counted 45 dead. Eyewitnesses, though, said over 100 people died in the incident.

    The incident forced Governor Obiano to cancel all his engagements on the day; he also wept when he arrived at the scene.

    He has taken over the bills of all the causalities in the various hospitals in the state, including Boromeo hospital at Old Nkpor Road and Toronto Hospital located along Enugu-Onitsha Expressway not far from the accident scene.

    Some victims are still battling to survive at Toronto Hospital, while two have been discharged, according to the Medical Director and Chief Executive of the hospital Dr. Emeka Ezeh.

    Two newspaper vendors and two circulation officers, all members of Onitsha Newspaper Distribution, Directors Association (ONDDA) in the commercial city lost their lives in the accident.

    The vice chairman of the group, Emmanuel Uwakwe, who confirmed this to The Nation, gave their names as Ifeanyi Nzekwe; Ifeoma; a  local man and a new member of the association.

    He said: “We are in pains and agony right now; we also went to the hospital to visit the injured ones.”

    The vice chairman of the Red Cross in the state, Prof Peter Katchy, told The Nation two days after the incident that 57 persons had been identified by their families, while 13 were yet to be identified.

    This was corroborated by the CEO of the Toronto Hospital Dr. Eze, who said family members identified some of the relatives by the ornaments they wore.

    One of such persons was a woman who died in the fire incident with her little baby she was carrying.

    •Nkiruka Ezeh, searching for her sister
    •Nkiruka Ezeh, searching for her sister

    Ezeh told The Nation that the hospital had stopped relations and others from going to see the patients who are in stable conditions in order not to contract infections because of the severity of the cases.

    Furthermore, he said the hospital would not be able to release any corpse to relations or discharge any patient unless instruction was passed to the hospital by the state ministry of health.

    After the second day of the fire incident, relations of the affected victims had been trickling to the Toronto hospital, Boromeo hospital, both in Onitsha and Nnamdi Azikiwe teaching hospital to see if they could identify their own.

    Red Cross chief in Anambra, Prof. Katchy said he and his members will not rest until they were sure everything was going right in managing the incident.

    The Red Cross volunteers moved from Onitsha to Nnewi teaching hospital where pathologists have started the process of forensic analysis, according to Prof Katchy.

    Miss Nkiruka Ezeh, who hails from Nkanu in Enugu State, was at the Toronto hospital to search for her sister, Nkechi Eze, who left their Awada residence on that fateful day to Asaba, Delta state.

    Her sister’s mission was to see their in-law, one Ogbonna Igwe, a motor parts dealer.

    In tears, she told The Nation that since she left the house, nobody had seen her including their in-law who denied seeing her at Asaba.

    Also, Nkiruka Eze said everybody had been calling the telephone number of her sister without getting any response, adding that they have been  worried since then.

    For Amaechi Alor, a trader at Mgbuka spare parts market in Onitsha, the situation is the same as he came in the company of other distant relations to the hospital to see a nephew, Chukwudi Nwanga.

    Nwanga survived the tanker fire incident on Sunday, but was still going the medical process at Toronto hospital.

    Though Obiano was said to have taken up the responsibility of offsetting the medical bills of the victims, Alor, told The Nation at the hospital that he spent N3,750 on drugs on Monday while another N14,000 drugs had been prescribed by the hospital for him to purchase.

    However, the Special Adviser to Governor Obiano, Mr. James Ezeh, told The Nation that Obiano had been working round the clock in making sure that things were put in the right perspective.

    Ezeh said the state ministry of health and the hospital management should liaise well in making sure that immediate action is taken in ensuring that the bills are appropriately taken care of as the governor said.

    Ezeh further told The Nation that Obiano had not been able to visit the victims again because of pressing government matters, adding that the governor had been sending his aides to those areas on a daily basis.

    Already the order by Governor Obiano to remove all the 12 burnt vehicles at the fire scene to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has been carried out, as all the burnt vehicles have been taken to the agency’s office in Awka.

    The fire incident scene has become a tourist centre at Upper Iweka by Anambra residents and indeed, foreigners since the incident took place.

    The office of the transporters was burnt including the 12 toilets built by the federal ministry of works inside the premises which had not been commissioned till date.

  • Day Fashola shocked Balogun market fire victims

    Day Fashola shocked Balogun market fire victims

    Victims of the fire gutted the popular Balogun market in Lagos early this year were once again in tears during the week. This time, it wasn’t the tears of agony they shed when the rampaging inferno razed their wares and shops. It was tears of joy all the way for the crest-fallen traders when the state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola(SAN) made good his promise to assist them when he visited the scene of the incident.

    He gave cheques of various sums to the victims, who thronged the premises of Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos, venue of the event in their thousands. Market leaders across the state also graced the occasion during which they were educated on the need to take insurance schemes for their businesses. Representatives of  Wapic and LASACO Assurance were on ground to educate the gathering about the benefits of insurance to their businesses and how they could avert calamity.

    The governor said the gesture was a fulfillment of his promise to alleviate their pains when he visited the area after the incident.

    Prior to his arrival, some of the victims were skeptical that they would be given any money. “They said they would give us money today, but I doubt if they are really going to do that. It has never happened anywhere in this country before. The best that any government has done is to relocate victims of any disaster. Any way, we are already here, and would wait and see what they would do,” one of the victims said.

    “Even if they would give any money, I doubt if they would give anybody more than N10, 000. I am sure that some of us may even be given as low as N5, 000 if they would even give at all. If that is the range of what we would get, then it is not worth it at all because if I had remained in the office since I came here, I could have made more than that,” another skeptical victim remarked.

    The skeptics were, however, jolted when the governor began to issue checks ranging from N50, 000 to sums above N200,000 to them. The governor’s speech was interrupted at intervals by the Igbo traders who sang various songs to applaud his gesture.

    Back row: Cross section of the victims at the event
    Back row: Cross section of the victims at the event

    The elated victims eulogised the governor for keeping to his promise. One of them, Mrs. Abiodun Oladimeji, got a cheque of N225, 000 and was marvelled that such gesture was extended to her. She lost a number of shops to the inferno.

    Filled with ecstasy, she betrayed emotions and prayed fervently for the governor. “We thank God for giving us a governor like you. You are a man who makes promises and keeps to them. I never imagined getting this degree of support from you. Life has not been easy since the incident happened but you have come to soothe my frayed nerves. I really appreciate. May you always find help everywhere you go,” she said.

    Another beneficiary, Chidi Nwanna, who got a cheque of N50,000, said he had been idling away since the incident occurred. With the financial support given to him, Chidi said he now has a seed capital to start his business all over again. “I am humbled by the governor’s gesture. He has restored my hope of starting my business all over. I have not been able to start business since the incident happened because I didn’t have the means of getting money to do that. I have only been surviving by hustling in the market.  This money would go a long way in helping me to start my business again. The governor has saved me from idleness. May God bless him,” he said.

    Another beneficiary, who simply identified herself as Mrs Olagun, said the fact that the governor kept to his promise to support them is highly commendable. She said: “It is not the amount that we got that is important because nobody can fully give us all that we lost. What is important here is that the governor made a promise when he visited us when the incident happened and he has fulfilled it. There is nothing anybody can do if he refused to do what he has done. It all boils down to the fact that he is a man of his words, a man who has conscience and ever concerned with the problems of the masses.

    “I have not witnessed this kind of generosity by any government before. This is the first time I have seen such. When the governor said that he would support us, we didn’t take him seriously. We took it as one of the usual speeches by politicians and did not put our hope in it. He has really surprised us and we are very grateful.”

    Iyabo Ajayi, who also received a cheque of N75,000, eulogised the governor for remembering them. “Wow! This is unbelievable. We are all shocked because this gesture is unprecedented. Fashola is really working and Lagos too.”

    Addressing the large gathering, Fashola said: “When I visited you after the incident, I promised to support you and that is what we are doing today”.

    Dr Femi Osanyintolu, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and his staff were also applauded by the victims for their efforts when the incident occurred. “LASEMA was really there for us when the incident occurred. We really appreciate the DG and his team for their commitment and uncommon humanitarian services to us and victims of other  disasters in the state,” the victims said.

    Dr Osanyintolu thanked the victims for appreciating the agency’s support. Addressing them, he said: “Disaster is preventable and it doesn’t happen suddenly. It will always give you signs before it occurs. We need to be very careful because what is always lost to disaster is enormous.

    “You can call 767 and 112 whenever there is emergency. It is toll free, so you don’t need to have money on your line to call. We also have a local emergency committee in every local government; we also have the same in every market. Please, always work with them. It is very good to insure your business.”

    The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, disabused the minds of the traders about insurance, telling them that insurance is not a difficult thing. Aside from taking insurance scheme for their businesses, he said they could also take insurance policy against ill-health.  “It is like saving for the rainy day. It is not only your business that you can insure, you can also insure against ill-health. We have private health insurance, which is meant for the wealthy in the society. We have the social insurance, which is meant for workers in the public sector.

    “We also have community insurance, which is meant for the masses. We have started this in four areas here in Lagos State. The areas are Ibeju Lekki, Ajeromi, Ikosi Isheri and Awoyaya. We are planning to go to other areas of the state but are waiting for the bill to be passed by the House of Assembly. The scheme requires a family to pay N200 every month. This would enable them to get treatment whenever they are sick.

    “It is good to take this kind of insurance because you don’t know the kind of sickness you may suffer from. If you are part of the scheme and along the line you have a terminal sickness that would cost about N1million, you will not have to pay any money to get medical attention. The scheme will cover you”.

  • Lagos to move fire victims to resettlement centre

    Lagos to move fire victims to resettlement centre

    •Fashola promises help as he visits scene

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola visited yesterday the Iwaya, Yaba Mainland Market fire scene, saying those displaced would be moved to the Resettlement Centre in Agbowa.

    He said the government would seek ways of assisting the victims.

    Fashola, who addressed members of the Iwaya Community, most of whom lost properties to the fire, advised market and transport associations to set up committees to ensure that inflammable items were removed after each day’s business.

    The governor implored Lagosians to be safety conscious by switching off electrical appliances before leaving their homes daily.

    While noting that government has the capacity to respond to emergencies, Fashola said fire prevention is the responsibility of all.

    “This is the dry season and with the harmattan haze, any small fire quickly gets out of hand. So all of us must be interested in our safety; we must do everything possible to avoid fires”, he said.

    “In market places, I am appealing that we should set up committees from today so that at the end of every market day, that Committee must go round the market to ensure that there is nothing that is left switched on that can cause a fire. In motor parks, in communities, in homes and offices the same thing should apply. Everybody must take responsibility”, he said.

    Noting that most of the fires at homes and business places were caused by power surges, Fashola advised all residents: “Before you leave home in the morning or the office at night, go round and make sure that everything that could cause fire is switched off.

    “Anything that you don’t need put it off. It is better that the cold water is probably not there in your refrigerator when you return than that your building has disappeared. Let’s try to be safe instead of being sorry. Let us act to prevent fires and all will be well”.

    Fashola, who thanked God that no life was lost in the incident, said  although properties could be replaced, life could not,  adding that government would help them get back on their feet.

    As a first step towards helping the victims, he said, those who lost their houses would be moved temporarily to the resettlement centre.

    “This is part of what your government has done with your taxes”, he said, adding that during their story in the camp, the victims would be fed at the state’s expense; those who need medical support would get it from the doctors there.

    According to him, government has also built teaching facilities there for displaced pupil’s who would be taught by teachers seconded to help them.

    On why the victims are being relocated, Fashola said even if his administration wants to rebuild the place overnight, it would not be possible, adding: “So putting you in that camp will help us get your accurate data, what your problems are and how we can help to get you back on your feet”.

    The victims back on their feet, the governor said the fire once more brought to the fore the importance of getting government approvals before erecting a building.

    Fashola said: “As a government, we will do all we can to get you back to your feet. But let me say that you yourselves must be careful the way you build; the way you organise yourselves in clusters. This is why we always advise that you come and take government approvals before you build anything, whether it is a temporary or a permanent structure.

    “Those approvals will help you set out the place properly, observe minimum safety rules, electrical connections, disposal of your waste water; all of these can become hazardous to your health if you do not do the right things in the way that you have built, in the way that you gather yourselves”.

    Earlier, a community leader, Chief Oladiji Oluwo, hailed the government for the prompt response of its agencies, suc as State Fire Service and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the movement of victims to the resettlement camp.

    He told the governor: “We thank you and all the top government officials for coming to sympathise with us over the fire.  Our people have been enlightened on the relief centre at Agbowa and we thank the government immensely for the promise to help us”.

    With the governor on the scene  were the Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, LASEMA General Manager Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, Executive Secretary, Yaba Local Council Development Area LCDA, Mrs. Bola Olumegbon, community leaders and residents.

  • Council to help fire victims

    The Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council,  Alhaji Abubakar Giri, has promised to  collaborate with the FCT Administration to help people affected  in the  Dobi International Yam Market fire disaster.

    Giri, who made the pledge while inspecting the extent of damage caused by the fire incident, expressed dismay at the level of destruction. He urged the victims not to lose hope.

    It was gathered that over 60 shops were razed while farm produce, cash and property worth millions of Naira were  destroyed in the incident.

    Narrating his ordeal, Mohammed Yusuf, a yam seller, stated that  he lost about N3 million in the fire incident, even as he thanked the chairman for his visit and his encouragement.

    Also speaking, the District Head of Dobi, Alhaji Sule Dobi, stated that the disaster which was suspected to have been caused by bush burning, was the worst he ever witnessed.

    Dobi called on  government to assist the victims through provision of yam seedlings for the  farming season as  yam was the major cash crop for people in  the community.

    While sympathising with the victims, the Head of Agriculture in the council, Dr Ahmed Abdullahi, urged government to assist its department to carry out fire tracing which will help cordon off farm produce sites from bush burning. This, according to him, will help prevent future occurrence of such incident.

  • Relief for Ibadan fire victims

    Relief for Ibadan fire victims

    Lawmaker gives cash, building materials

    Years of joy ran down their cheeks. Some who lost their houses got building materials. Some whose businesses were were burnt up got cash to start all over again. The April 26 fire wreaked havoc in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, but thanks to Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, the victims are smiling once more.

    Even those unaffected by the fire also came in large numbers to rejoice with the victims as help came.

    All of them were full of praises for theie helper, Senator Lanlehin, the lawmaker representing Oyo South Senatorial District. Lanlehin hails from Ward 08, Ibadan North West Local government of Oyo state where the fire occurred.

    Many of the onlookers became emotional when they listened to the pathetic stories narrated by some of the victims.

    Scores of people in the densely populated area lost their belongings to the inferno caused by a tanker laden with fuel which skidded off the road at the Mokola-Inalende-Orita-Merin Road junction. The vehicle caught fire, destroying buildings, shops, vehicles and other valuables in the area. Over 20 buildings and 45 shops were burnt, including three vehicles and a mosque.

    Hundreds of victims trooped out to receive the relief materials with words of gratitude to the lawmaker who was moved by the plight of the people affected by the incident.

    The Senator said sending relief became imperative because of the scale of damage caused by the fire and the resultant suffering it brought on the victims.

    The lawmaker explained that the materials would help the victims to return to their normal lives after the sudden loss they experienced.

    Various relief materials ranging from roofing sheet, cement, sewing machines, planks, and cash were distributed to the victims including landlords, tenants and shop owners whose properties were consumed by the fire.

    The relief materials included 20 bundles of corrugated iron roofing sheets, 100 bags of cement, planks of different sizes, 20 Sewing Machines, four units of computer sets, two photocopy machines, eight hair-dryers, eight clippers and cash donations of various sums.

    Addressing the crowd of victims at the scene of fire, Lanlehin who was accompanied by leaders of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the District, said the total cost of the relief materials and cash donation was over N10m.

    The only mosque among the buildings burnt by the fire, Arowodana Mosque, has virtually all the materials needed for its resuscitation supplied by the lawmaker.

    Speaking further, Senator Lanlehin said: “The extent of damage was very large and very painful as well. It destroyed a lot of property but we thank God that no life was lost. I had to come down from Abuja very early in the morning after the incident and what I saw was very shocking.

    “It saddened me, it pained me. This is part of my constituency and it is an area I am very familiar with. Apart from that, I believe I have a duty to do whatever I can to ameliorate and reduce the pain of what happened. To that extent, I have made arrangement to distribute in my own way to lessen the suffering of my people of Omitowoju affected by the fire incident. There is nothing we can do that will erase the pains and trauma but we are only trying to give as much as possible to contribute towards rebuilding the burnt houses that were damaged.

    “We also intend to give the victims whose shops and whose means of livelihood were affected some capital. We intend to get them back to their trade by having some instruments and tools procured and distributed to them together with some start-up capital.

    “We also intend to take care of tenants there because there were so many tenants who live in those houses, whose properties were lost. We intend to give them some money to at least cushion the effect of the terrible loss. We only hope and pray that it won’t happen again. We can never rule out this kind of incident, we can only pray to Almighty God to make the happening as minimal as possible.

    “Also, the authorities in charge of attending to these incidents, particularly fire incidents, occuring all over the place that we should as much as possible try to upgrade our fire service equipment. The National Assembly as a federal institution, the third arm of government, the legislature does not have provision for emergency or misfortune like this. At the federal level, the agency that has jurisdiction in respect of such misfortunes or emergencies is the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which is an arm of the executive.

    “I have contacted them and I’m confident they will do something. They have promised me that they will certainly do something and I have no doubt whatsoever that they will do something.

    “It is their duty; it is their responsibility and I believe that they will do all they can to help. What I am doing is my personal effort, out of my own personal resources, my own personal renumeration because all the people in the nine local governments of Oyo South Senatorial District are my brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers and I have a duty to come to their assistance when needed”.

    One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Olalekan Ayodele, a fashion designer who lost all his sewing machines and embroidery equipment, was given a new set of sewing machine at the event.

    He said: “We thank God for the life of Senator Lanlehin, and may God continue to grant him long life and good health because he is using his life to assist the needy and we won’t disappoint him when it is our turn to show appreciation for what he has done in our life today. “

    Mrs Victoria Odejayi who lost her two vegetable shops situated along Omitowoju Junction where the fuel-laden tanker fell, was also full of praises as she expressed her gratitude to the donor for his generosity and kindness to the people.

    She narrated how the fire which caught her unawares claimed all her goods including bags of rice and gallons of vegetable oil.

    Odejayi who recieved the sum of N60,000 as donation, said: “I want to thank Senator Lanlehin, a true representative of his people. May God Almighty guide and protect him in all his ways.”

    She particularly thanked God for sparing her life in the incident, saying that “once there is life there is hope and we are happy that Senator Lanlehin today gave us hope. He has helped us to know that not all is lost, we still have hope since we are still alive.“