The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fire

  • Fire on smugglers’ tracks

    Fire on smugglers’ tracks

    Goods worth billions of naira move through smugglers’ routes every day, but the authorities have turned the heat on them, writes OKODILI NDIDI

    Through the woods, up the hills and down the valleys, smugglers ferry all manner of goods into the country, from poultry to rice, motor parts to kitchenware. The illegal trade fetches billions every day, but not all of the smugglers are smiling to the bank; a number are actually in grief following an invigorated crackdown on them.  The last one month has been a nightmare for the smugglers especially those who operate in the Southeast and Southsouth. The Federal Operations Unit Zone C of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS0 has been after them. On dirt paths and in thick forests, Customs personnel have been catching smugglers and impounding their contraband items.

    At the headquarters of the Zone C in Owerri, the Imo State capital, and the Benin office, hundreds of containers of seized contraband are arranged in a manner that one could mistake for a container terminal at one of the seaports.

    But has this sustained clampdown thought the smugglers any lesson? The daily seizures do not confirm that. Nor do the arrests and the risk of going to jail.

    The Controller of the Federal Operations Unit Zone C, Comptroller Uba Garba, who assumed duty about one month ago, vowed to sustain the onslaught against smuggling, warning that anyone who engages in illegal importation of banned goods will lose their money and may end up in jail.

    Displaying impounded contraband within the last one month with Duty Paid Value of N1, 074,099,739, the Controller, disclosed that 16 suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime and are undergoing interrogation.

    Garba attributed the sustained smuggling activities despite the spirited efforts of the Service to the country’s porous borders.

    He appealed to residents of border communities to desist from aiding the smugglers by escorting them through track roads that are not known by security men but should rather assist the men of the Customs by availing them with credible information.

    According to him, the clampdown on the smugglers and seizure of contraband is to protect the economy of the nation and the wellbeing of the people.

    He said, ”We are not out to frustrate members of the public or indeed the business community, but we are only interested [in facilitating] legitimate trade.”

    He further assured that those who are involved in legitimate trade will have nothing to fear, adding that the Service is determined to detect, arrest and prosecute those who not comply with the law.

    Garuba further warned: “The Unit under my leadership will continue to insist on compliance and to those who will want to taste our collective will, the time is up. Do the right thing and save yourself the agony of losing your wealth and possibility of going to jail.

    The confiscated items which were intercepted by men of the Service in the ongoing clampdown against smugglers in the Zone  include 2,522 bags of foreign rice, 16,115 cartons of imported frozen poultry products,  720 cartons of foreign vegetable oil, 1,466 pieces of furniture, 268 pieces of used tyres and 1,964 pieces of motor spare parts. Others include 39 pieces of used compressors, 29 bales of second hand clothing and 9 exotic vehicles

     

  • Fire guts CJ’ s chamber at Igbosere

    The High Court of Lagos state, Igbosere was thrown into pandemonium on Wednesday as fire ravaged the chambers of the Chief Judge, Justice Funmilayo Atilade.
    Witnesses said that the fire started few minutes after workers resumed for duties at 8.00 a.m.
    The fire was said to have been caused by a spark from one of the air-conditioning unit in the Chief judge’s chamber.

    The chamber of the  Chief Judge is on the top floor of the old building facing Catholic Mission Street, Lagos.
    The courtroom  is reserved for use of the Chief Judge whenever she is in the Lagos division of the court.

    It was gathered that the fire started when one of the cleaners switched on the faulty air-conditioner and left the courtroom.

    Another account has it that the fire was noticed by a security woman popularly called Alhaja who raised alarm.
    The security woman was said to have been hurriedly taken to the hospital as a result of the smoke she allegedly inhaled before the arrival of the firefighters.

    The building was saved from being razed down following the quick intervention of Lagos State Fire Service that prevented the fire from spreading to other courtrooms.
    However, it took the firefighter about one hour to put out the fire which was emitting heavy smoke from the court room.
    It was observed that the fire incidence disrupted judiciary activities as litigants were evacuated from the premises and the gates locked.
    But, some of the furniture and bookshelves in the CJ’s chamber were partly destroyed in the incident .
    An eyewitness, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said he was in the office when he was informed that there was a fire outbreak.
    According to the witness who is a court registrar, “the fire started from one of the air-conditioning unit in the CJ’s chamber. But, before anyone could get to know about it, it has gone out of control”.

  • Fuel tanker fire sparks tears in Ibadan

    Fuel tanker fire sparks tears in Ibadan

    Traders, motorists and passengers had no inkling of what will befall them that early morning. Those who had retired to their homes after the previous day’s hustling were yet to get to their various trading posts. Some received phone calls to the effect that their shops had been burnt. WALE AJETUNMOBI reports that the fire, which claimed no life, was as a result of the carelessness of a Jigawa-bound truck.

    If this had happened at 8:00 a.m., we would have been packing burnt human bodies by now.” This was the response of Mr. Adisa Adeagbo, a commercial cab driver, after a fuel-laden tanker burst into flames in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Sunday.

    One unidentified person was burnt beyond recognition, while several commuters were injured as vehicles conveying them to various destinations caught fire. The incident happened at Oremeji-Agugu axis of Lagos-Ibadan Highway. No fewer than 30 road-side shops, four trailers and 12 passengers’ vehicles were razed.

    Traders, who owned the shops, broke down in tears when they arrived at the scene. None of the traders could pick anything, as all materials and goods kept in their shops were completely burnt.

    The incident, which happened at 6:30 a.m., was said to have been caused by Jigawa-bound truck, registered as KZR 418 XA, loaded with wheat.

    Southwest Report gathered that the truck lost control while on high speed as it attempted to overtake another truck laden with cartons of pasta, biscuits and noodles. The front section of the Jigawa-bound truck, eyewitnesses said, came off, ramming into a NIPCO fuel tanker parked on the road side.

    The fuel tanker burst into flames as its content spilled on the road. Commuters ran helter-skelter as diesel flowed from the tanker’s silo before it went up in flames. Petrol attendants at Fakinlayo Filling Station close to the scene shut the station and fled.

    Eyewitnesses said though some passengers tried to escape as there was pandemonium; some sustained some degrees of burnt in the ensuing uproar when the vehicles conveying them caught fire at the scene.

    Most of the road-side traders had not opened for business when the incident happened. Unquantifiable amount of goods kept in the shops were completely burnt.

    Nurudeen Alimi, who drove one of the razed trailers, with registration number JJJ 363 XB owned by a logistics company, relived how he escaped.

    He said: “I parked my truck on the road side to check a fault I noticed in the engine of my vehicle. Then, I sighted a wheat-laden trailer driving on top speed and attempted to overtake another trailer, which was moving at a normal speed. The wheat-laden trailer lost control and broke into two. The head rammed into a NIPCO tanker parked at a distant behind my truck and there was a loud bang.

    “Before I knew what was going on, the content of the tanker had started spilling on the road. I fled the scene, because I knew what would happen next. Just before I ran a few metres, the tanker went up in flames. From where I stood, I could see passengers of on-coming vehicles rushing down and scampering in different directions. Nobody died; but some of them were injured as they made attempt to flee the scene.”

     

    Traders’ lament

    Most of the traders were yet to come to terms with the tragedy that befell them. They arrived at the scene one after the other to count their losses. They were left with charred materials of their wares.

    A trader identified as Mrs Amope could not be consoled as she wept uncontrollably at the spot where her wooden shop was razed. “Where will I start again?” Mrs Amope said, adding: “I just bought goods to stock up my shop with money I borrowed. I have not even started selling the goods to enable me to repay the money given to me by my lenders. Everything has been burnt this morning.”

    Mrs Amope was led away almost naked from the scene by sympathisers.

    A lotto operator, Wale Olalere whose kiosk was razed, said he was still in bed when he got calls, informing him of the incident.

    “When I got the calls, I quickly got up and came here. As you can see, I cannot recognise the spot where I had my kiosk. Everything I left in the kiosk, including my lotto machine, has been burnt. I don’t know what to do now, because this is where I get my daily bread,” he said.

    Mrs Mosunmola Adesina, who sells alcoholic drinks, wept as she counted her losses.

    She said: “I have three shops here and I have lost everything to the fire. All my deep freezers, power generating set and the drinks have all gone. How do I start all over again?”

    The leader of Oremeji Market, Mrs Omotunde Grace, said the traders had complained to the government about the activities of trailers and fuel tankers in the area. She said the inferno would have extended to buildings close to the market if the tanker had been loaded with petrol. She urged the government to stop trucks and fuel tankers from parking close to the market.

     

    Looting by hoodlums

    While the inferno raged, some dare-devil miscreants swarmed on the shops and burning trailers to loot. The hoodlums attacked fire fighters from Oyo State Fire Service, who moved to the scene at 7:00 a.m. to put out the fire. The hoodlums looted cartons of pasta and noodles from one of the burnt trailers. The fire fighters got to work after a combined team of soldiers, riot policemen and Civil Defence Corps deployed to the scene dispersed the hoodlums.

    Adeleke Isiaka, who led the fire team said: “We responded to the distress call immediately and we got here in time. But 20 minutes after we arrived, we were prevented by hoodlums looting at the scene. We were able to put out the inferno within a few hours. I can confirm to you there was no life lost.

    For more than 10 hours, travellers were left stranded on the highway. Vehicles coming from Lagos diverted to the opposite lane, causing gridlock. Officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had hectic time controlling the traffic.

    FRSC’s Oluyole Unit Commander, Mrs Titilayo Olayiwola, said investigation was ongoing to ascertain the cause of the incident.

    Police spokesman Adekunle Ajisebutu said: “Immediately we got the news, we contacted the Fire Service. But for the quick intervention of the firemen, the havoc would have been worst. We drafted policemen to the scene and the report we got is that 10 vehicles and several shops were burnt.

    Drivers of the Jigawa-bound trailer was said to have fled the scene.

     

  • Fire outbreak in YABATECH, academic activities suspended

    Fire outbreak in YABATECH, academic activities suspended

    Fire on Wednesday razed Bakassi Hall, one of the female hostels at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.

    The fire which started at 5:10am razed the hostel top floor before extending to other parts of the building.

    Fire fighters from the college fire service unit arrived 30 minutes after the inferno started but ran out of water midway. The students later mobilized and tried desperately to put out the fire.

    Fire fighters from University of Lagos and the Lagos Fire Service arrived at 6:00am and joined the rescue efforts but the fire raged on.

    A female student simply known as Onome sustained a neck injury and has been taken to a military hospital close to the college for treatment.

    The fire was finally put at about 7:30am and normalcy has returned to the school.

    Meanwhile, all academic activities in YABATECH have been suspended indefinitely following Wednesday’s fire outbreak in the college.

    A statement issued by one Charles Oni on behalf of the institution’s management said all examinations and lectures, scheduled for Wednesday, have been put on hold.

    The statement reads:

    “Sequel to the unfortunate fire incident at the Bakassi Hostel early this morning, the management has suspended all academic activities till further notice.

    “By this notice, all examinations and lectures, especially scheduled for today have been put on hold while the College attends to the exigency.

    “The management regrets the misguided and outright falsehood on the social media and calls to certain radio stations that there was no water on campus to quell the fire. The truth is that firemen needed an excavator to attend to the fire, which the college provided promptly.

    “Meanwhile, the Rector, Dr. Margaret Ladipo, has called on the college community to remain calm as the management finds ways to soothe the pains inflicted by the accident.”

     

  • One killed, 15 vehicles razed in Zaria tanker fire

    The Police in Kaduna State have confirmed the death of one person in a tanker fire in Zaria. The fire also razed a police station and 15 vehicles.

    The incident happened Saturday night at Danmagaji, when the driver lost control in an attempt to avoid a pothole.

    He crushed a motorcyclist. The ensuing fire razed the police station and vehicles.

    Commissioner of Police Agyole Abeh confirmed the figure to reporters after visiting the scene yesterday.

    “The incident is quite unfortunate but we have to give glory to God. The inferno would have consumed more lives, most especially as Danmagaji usually experiences heavy traffic, and people patronise this station well.

    “However, everything in the station is completely burnt, as you can see the structure, nothing is left besides the wall,” Abeh said.

    He solicited the intervention of the government, traditional and community leaders, in rebuilding the police station.

  • ‘Make fire protection all-inclusive policy’

    ‘Make fire protection all-inclusive policy’

    For three consecutive days (September 20-22), the Fire Protection Association of Nigeria (FPAN) held this year’s annual conference on fire prevention and protection at Equity Resort Hotel, Ijebu-Ode Ogun State. During the conference, participants discussed the way forward for the all-important sector. The conference was held because of the growing cases of fire incidents and their attendant consequences in terms of loss of lives and property.

    The theme of the conference was “Towards Effective Coordination and Management of Fire Prevention and Emergency Preparedness for Security of National Economy.”

    At the end of the conference where experts presented several papers, a communiqué was also issued. The event was also a platform for the investiture of about 19 Fellows of the association as well as election of new executive.

    Speaking at the conference, FPAN’s Vice-President, Mr. Dominic O. Aigbogun, said the participants arrived at the recommendations after exhaustive deliberations of the problems confronting fire protection and other emergency measures in the country.

    He also revealed that the conference noted that fire services across the country were poorly funded and ill-equipped, thereby giving rise to lapses in intervention and capacity building.

    The conference, according to Aigbogun, also decried lack of pro-activeness in planning for emergencies, which has equally led to challenges in the proper management of rescue operations.

    Other issues the conference deliberated on included lack of synergy among law enforcement agencies in the management of fire and other emergencies; losses arising from fire incidents in the country  which were on the increase and largely so as a result of weak systems and structure in the management of fire incidents.

    The association also observed that the country’s insurance sector was experiencing a lot of challenges, essentially due to poor risk assessment, leading to poor pricing, poor risk treatment and lack of effective monitoring.

    To mitigate the challenges facing fire prevention management in the country, the conference recommended, among other things:

    “That since safety of lives and property is a collective responsibility, the funding of fire services should be borne by the three tiers of government. It was equally recommended that each local government area should contribute five per cent of its revenue allocation for equipping the fire service stations.

    “It was also recommended that insurance companies, banks and oil firms should contribute two per cent of their annual gross profits to the Fire Service Fund while other corporate bodies should pay one per cent of their gross profit into the fund.

    Other major recommendations were that “the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) should ensure proper and effective role separation in emergency operations; individual agencies in the area of fire and other emergencies should always restrict themselves to the specific and defined roles and responsibilities.”

    The participants also stressed that emphasis should shift from a reactive to proactive philosophy in fire protection management and that proper planning of emergency operations should be the core for effectiveness and efficiency in response operations.

    The participants called on government at various levels and decision makers on fire and other emergencies, to budget properly and ensure that the relevant equipment and the capacity for emergency operations are assured.

    The conferees equally urged the Federal Government to urgently revisit and implement its 2012 Committee’s report on the restructuring of Fire Service in the country, just as they urged insurance companies to ensure proper and effective assessment and treatment of risks in their portfolios.

    While commending the Federal Government for transferring the Federal Fire Service to the Ministry of Interior, the conference however, appealed to the government to speedily place the Service either on the Concurrent or Exclusive list.

    The body wants the National Assembly to accelerate the passage of the Bill on Fire Service Act of 2003.

    Other recommendations included paying of greater attention to the recruitment of firemen into the service; ensuring uniformity of Fire Safety Code, fire service training and administration.

    The conference, which expressed sadness over the loss of lives of firemen in active service, appealed for the provision of protective wears, particularly breathing apparatus to safeguard firemen at work.

    They equally sought the intensification of public enlightenment/lectures in fire prevention activities; positioning three fire stations in strategic positions in each local government in the country and adequate raw water reservoir and hydrant with outlets spaced 100 metres apart in every city.

    In a bid for more relevance, the conference urged  the FPAN’s Governing Council to establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with other safety organisations, especially that of FPA in the United Kingdom and NFPA of the United States of America, among others.

    The papers presented included; “Role of NEMA in Emergency Control”; “Fire Service in Nigeria, How Prepared;” “Role of Enforcement Agencies in Management of Fire Emergencies”; “FPAN’s Views on Losses in our Nation and Contemplated Remedies” and “Insurer’s View on Fire and other cognate losses in our Nation.”

  • Fire at UDUS hostel marts

    Fire at UDUS hostel marts

    Properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in a night fire at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), last week. The incident happened at the mini-marts attached to the Hall of Residence.

    The fire, which started at some minutes past 10 p.m., was said to have been caused by power surge in one of the marts. Four shops were completely razed before the intervention of the Sokoto State Fire Service. The affected shops were a beauty salon, a cosmetic shop and two other stores on the same axis.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the owners of the shops were not around when the fire started. Eyewitnesses said the inferno was not immediately noticed when it started. It was learnt that some goods were moved out of the cosmetic shop, but sympathisers, who were mainly students, could not move any materials out of the  affected shops.

    There has not been an official reaction to the incident, but top management officials of the school visited the site last Friday to ascertain the extent of the damage.

  • Fire guts shopping complex

    Fire guts shopping complex

    Two persons were yesterday injured when fire gutted Odo Eran Shopping Complex Agege.

    Eleven shops were razed.

    The fire was said to have started from one of the shops around 2:30pm.

    Sources said improperly stored chemicals used for paint manufacturing caused the fire.

    Ten shops were saved by officials of Lagos State Fire Service and Wahum Industries Limited.

    The injured were treated by Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) workers.

    Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) General Manager Adesina Tiamiyu urged shop owners and companies that use chemicals and other highly inflammable materials to take extra care in their storage to avoid the fire.

  • Fire razes house as victims tackle fire service

    Fire razes house as victims tackle fire service

    The victims of a fire outbreak at 24, Gaskiya Road, Badia, Ijora, Lagos have blamed the loss of property and destruction of the building on poor response by the fire service.

    It was gathered that the residents called the service around 2:00 a.m. when the fire started but its men arrived after the street residents battled the fire.

    The tenants bemoaned the fact that the nearby fire service at Ijora/Boundary answered their call but failed to come to their rescue.

    It was also learnt that the Jibowu fire service appeared two hours after the fire started. But no one knew the cause of the outbreak that left none dead or injured while goods and property were destroyed.

    The affected bungalow had shops not directly attached to the house which helped reduce the damage, it emerged. All six shops in the building as well as four rooms behind were affected. Next to the house is a three-storey hospital building and a fuel station.

    Ahmed Ibrahim, a tenant who lost all his property, said: “The fire started from the roof. I cannot trace the cause of the fire. As the fire started, we called the fire service and they disappointed us until JISAM, a former chairman, called someone from Abuja. But the fire service came two hours after, when the shops were a mess.

    “My brother, Baba Amdiya, rented the room and palour. He just came back from Mecca yesterday and has not even entered the house. Imagine the great loss. He is coming from Mecca with joy but sorrow has embraced his arrival. The fire started so fast that I could not take anything from the house. All our property was destroyed.

    Another witness at the scene, Mr Igwe Ogbonna, said that it was an unfortunate scenario. He said: “I was called around 2:00 a.m. that my shop was on fire. Fortunately and unfortunately, my shop was not affected but the fire affected my friend’s that he lost goods worth over millions. I rushed down to the shop at 2:20 a.m. and witnessed the fire.

    “We were confused and shocked at the first sight of the fire but immediately called the fire services at Ajegunle very close to the place. It was later when the fire had totally burnt the shops that we saw them. It was not even the nearby fire service that came to terminate the fire; it was the fire service from Jibowu. It is a very painful loss because the fire service did not come to this place until 3:00 a.m., that is, an hour after the fire started when there was nothing left to do for them.”

    Mrs Ajibike Raheem, who lost her frozen food store to the fire, said that despite her sacrifice during elections to campaign and vote for the government, they could not help the people. She said: “The fire started in the midnight and I called the fire service. Two hours after my goods were destroyed, I sighted them. The fire service disappointed us. It is the street boys and community members that helped fight the fire. I sell frozen chicken and turkey. I don’t even know where and how to start another life.

    “My brothers just rented this place for my family. It was the Badia boys that quenched the fire. The fire service came later when the fire was out.”

    Mr Obi, who operates a wholesale provision store, was disconsolate. His wife cried as sympathisers came around. He said: “I don’t even know what to do, either to cry or lament. I am in a great shock. If the fire service had reached here in time, this wouldn’t have happened. For over two hours, we could not find them. Thank God that some boys were around to quench the fire. I cannot quantify the millions in this shop. I have lost over 20 million naira.

    Baba Lateefat, whose wife supplies flour products, said: “I’m thinking 100 percent of establishing my wife. You can see that she is in shocked and weeping. What has happened cannot be reversed. I must act fast for another possible way forward.”

    The Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasaq Fadipe did not answer several calls on his mobile phone at press time.

  • Oil spill fire: Victims petition NHRC on NNPC’s negligence

    Oil spill fire: Victims petition NHRC on NNPC’s negligence

    Victims of the December 2015 oil spill fire at Effurun in Delta State have decried the alleged refusal by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pay them N70 million compensation.

    An oil spill from ruptured pipelines caught fire on December 4, last year, resulting in massive destruction of property; vehicles, homes, stalls and other valuables estimated at over N70 million.

    Victims of the fire, through their estate valuer, Edwin Agammegwa, petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate the incident and make operators of the pipelines to compensate them.

    The petition, which claimed the victims contacted the NNPC and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the government body responsible to victims of oil spills, said a damage assessment was conducted on the incident between February 11 and 12.

    The petition said although a valuation report was conveyed to the NNPC, and  reminders sent to its offices in Warri, no favourable response was received.

    It added that the destruction subjected the victims and their families to untold hardship.

    The petition said: “When the spill occurred on December 3, 2015, they mobilised to the site with their contractor. They began to recover the spilled oil. This area is the service lane of the expressway. It is also facing the fence of the army barracks. This area is occupied by roadside traders and motor mechanics. Some people also parked their cars on the service lane.

    “When the spill occurred, the contractor stopped owners of the vehicles, mechanic workshops and trading shops …from removing their vehicles or the items in their workshop to avoid a fire.

    “During the operation, the equipment they were using to dig holes to gather the oil, hit an electric cable and it caught fire. It burnt 11 vehicles, one bulldozer, mechanic shops with tools as well as trading shops.

    “Our clients are suffering …because of the destruction of their means of livelihood. We, therefore, call on you to use your good offices to investigate this matter and compel them to pay compensation to the affected individuals.”