The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fires

  • Lagos worried over surge fires

    The Lagos State Government has promised to stem the high rate of electricity-induced fires in the meropolis.

    It vowed to bring to book any distribution company (Disco) found culpable.

    Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC) made the pledge at the weekend at the launch of the pilot phase of sensitisation on hazard identification and risk scrutiny.

    Its Head of Zonal Operations, Todo Wede, said investigating and bringing erring firms to book for negligence was necessary to avoid potential risks and avoidable tragedies.

    The move followed the death of a family of five in a fire triggered by power surge in Surulere last Wednesday.

    The government, Wede said, would strengthen the LSSC’s collaboration with electricity companies and other relevant agencies to ensure a hazard-free environment.

    He said: “We will write the Eko Discos and invite them to discuss this particular issue. They know why power surges are happening and we will resolve it.”

    According to him, strategic initiatives have been developed to keep a tab on inimical activities and conditions in the state before they deteriorate.

    Wede said this year’s awareness campaign labelled “Remove the hazard, save a life’ would span three months and cover six local council development  areas  (LCDAs), including Alimosho, Ikeja, Onigbongbo, Orile, Agege and Ojodu, adding that two safety marshals have each been deployed to the respective areas.

  • NJC fires Appeal Court Justice over N200m bribery scandal

    NJC fires Appeal Court Justice over N200m bribery scandal

    •Enugu CJ too over N10m donation

    •Kano judge to be dismissed, prosecuted over N195m contract scam

    The careers of three top judges including  the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin division, Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya and the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike,are hanging by a thread.

    The  National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended their  compulsory retirement ,and the dismissal of a third – Justice Kabiru M. Auta of the High Court of Justice, Kano State with immediate effect -for official misconduct.

    Auta is also to be  handed over to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 1, Kano State, for prosecution.

    They are to proceed on suspension immediately pending the acceptance of the NJC recommendations by President Mohammadu Buhari (in the case of Justice Tsamiya), Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (in the case of Justice Umezulike) and Kano Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (in the case of Justice Auta).

    The  acting Director (Information) of NJC ,Mr. Soji Oye, broke the news in a statement yesterday.

    Tsamiya is said to have abused his office after,according to the NJC,he  accepted bribe in respect of a 2015 election case pending before an appeal panel in which he was a member.

    The council indicted Umezulike for conducting  himself in a manner that conflicted with his position as a judicial officer,while Auta is said to have collected money from a contractor, promising to facilitate the award of  a contract to him.

    He failed to deliver on his promise.

    Oye said the decision was reached at the last NJC meeting held on September 29, 2016.

    He said: “ Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal was recommended for compulsory retirement from office to President Muhammadu Buhari, pursuant to the ‘findings’ by the Council in the petition written by Nnamdi Iro Oji against him and Hon. Justices Husseini Muktar, F. O. Akinbami and J. Y. Tukur, all Justices of Court of Appeal who sat on Election Appeal panel in the Owerri division of the court during the 2015 general elections.

    “The petition contains the following allegations, among others:- Corruption, malice and vindictiveness; and giving perverse and conflicting decisions on the same issue in similar matters in appeal CA/OW/EPT/SN/50/2015: Chief Dr. David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex vs. Hon. Mao Onuabunwa & Anor;CA/OW/EPT/SN/47/2015; Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu & Anor vs Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa & Ors; and CA/OW/EPT/HR/61/2015: Nnamdi Iro Oji Vs Nkole Uko Ndukwe & 16 Ors.

    “During deliberations, council found as follows:-

    *That there was evidence that the petitioner met with Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya thrice, in his residence in Sokoto, Gwarinpa, Abuja and Owerri where on each occasion, he demanded from him the sum of N200,000.000 (Two Hundred Million Naira) to influence the Court of Appeal Panel in Owerri or risk losing the case;

    *That the allegations of giving two conflicting judgements on the same matter was not true as the two judgements were in respect of two different appeals: one was in respect of House of Representative seat, a Federal Constituency, while the other was in respect of a Senate seat, which covered one third of the state;

    *That there was no allegation and no evidence that the petitioner ever met or discussed with Hon. Justices Husseini Mukhtar (JCA), F. O. Akinbami(JCA) and J. Y. Tukur(JCA) in respect of the appeal before them.

    “In the light of the foregoing, that Hon. Justices Husseini Mukhtar (JCA), F. O. Akinbami(JCA) and J. Y. Tukur(JCA), were exonerated.

    “Hon. Justice I. A. Umezulike, OFR, Chief Judge, Enugu State was recommended to the Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for compulsory retirement sequel to the findings by the council on the following allegations levelled against him by Barrister Peter Eze:-

    *That the Hon. Chief Judge failed to deliver Judgement in Suit No E/13/2008: Ajogwu V Nigerian Bottling Company Limited in which final Addresses were adopted on 23rd October, 2014.

    *That the judgement was however delivered on 9th March, 2015, about 126 days after addresses were adopted, contrary to constitutional provisions that judgement should be delivered within a period of 90 days.

    *That Hon. Justice Umezulike, OFR, in suit No E/159M/2014, Ezeuko Vs Probate Registrar, High Court of Enugu State and 3 ors ordered the arrest of Mr.  Peter Eze by police and be brought before his court after the matter was amicably resolved and judgement entered on terms of settlement.

    *That the Hon. Chief Judge in a speech delivered by him to the Eastern Bar Forum on Friday 4th March, 2016, openly made uncomplimentary remarks containing vulgar language against the petitioner, contrary to Rule 1.3 of the National Judicial Council Revised Code of Conduct for judicial officers.

    *That at the time of the book launch of the Hon. Chief Judge, donation of N10 million was made by Prince Arthur Eze during the pendency of the two cases in His Lordship’s Court, both of which Prince Arthur Eze has vested interest.

    *That there have been many instances of abuse of judicial powers, by the Chief Judge, particularly against the two defendants in suits Nos. E/6/2013 and E/88/2016.

    *That the Chief Judge clung to these two suits to remain in his court, despite all genuine efforts made by the defendants to get the suits transferred to another court.

    *That the Chief Judge, sitting at a vantage position of senior judicial officer and Head of Court for that matter, should not have allowed his emotions to dictate his judicial functions to the detriment of the defendants in both suits.

    “In the case of Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta of the High Court of Justice, Kano State, he was recommended to the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for dismissal and be handed over to the police for prosecution following the findings of the Council on the allegations levelled against him by Alhaji Kabiru Yakassai as follows:-

    *That the petitioner paid the sum of N125, 000.000.00 (one hundred and twenty-five Million Naira) into an account approved by the Hon. Judge.

    *That the petitioner also made cash payment of N72,000,000.00 (Seventy-five Million Naira) to Hon. Justice Auta in several instalments through his personal assistant, Abdullahi Bello, ostensibly for the purpose of assisting a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, who had just been appointed, to secure accommodation and for the petitioner to be in turn rewarded by the award of some contracts by the said Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria.

    *That Hon. Justice Auta facilitated telephone communications in his house between the petitioner and purportedly the former Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria on the other end.

    *That Hon. Justice Auta facilitated meetings between the petitioner and a lady who introduced herself as the purported Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria in a Prado Jeep, escorted by armed Police Officer in a hotel in Kaduna.

    *That after the petitioner suspected foul play and reported the matter to the police, Hon. Justice Auta agreed to pay the petitioner the sum of N95, 000.000.00 (Ninety-five Million Naira) as part of his claim while Abubakar Mahdi was to pay the sum of N125, 000.000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-five Million Naira) to the petitioner.

    *That pursuant to the agreement, Hon. Justice Auta made a part payment of $11, 000.00 (Eleven Thousand U. S. Dollars) and N16,000.000.00 (Sixteen Million Naira) cash to the Petitioner and undertook to pay the balance before the commencement of the Fact Finding Committee set up by the National Judicial Council to investigate the allegations.

    *That Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta admitted accepting to pay the money as agreed in AIG’s Office in Kano according to him ‘having suffered humiliation, and incarceration and had nowhere to go for help and in order to protect my image and the image of the judiciary’.

    “He however, said that the settlement was for him to  pay N35 million and not N95 million and that to that effect, he paid N20 million so far including the $11,000.00; and

    “Hon. Justice Kabiru stated in his evidence, that the purpose of the Petitioner visiting his house at times was that as a friend, he used to seek favours for his people who had matters before him, a conduct that is in itself self-indicting and a serious abuse of judicial oath.

    “The above allegations against the three judicial officers constitute misconduct contrary to Section 292 (1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended and Rules 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 3.2, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 8.4a, 13.1, 15.2 of the 2016 Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “Meanwhile, the National Judicial Council, in the exercise of its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, has suspended Hon. Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division,  Hon. Justice I. A. Umezulike, OFR, Chief Judge of Enugu State and  Hon. Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court from office with immediate effect, pending the approval of the recommendations of the council for their compulsory retirement and dismissal respectively, from office by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR; Governor Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR, of Kano State, respectively.”

  • Abia averts major fires

    The timely intervention of the Abia State Fire Service personnel has prevented major fires in Aba, the state’s commercial nerve.

    The fires started at two locations in the city on Sunday but were quickly put out by the firemen.

    The Nation gathered that the incidents occurred at a popular bar CS Park by Georges, and at No. 45 Jubilee Road.

    Properties at both facilities were estimated at above N900m.

    It was learnt that while the fire at the CS Park affected the Bush Bar, about eight to nine rooms were affected in the incident that happened at No. 45 Jubilee Road.

    Sources said that no life was lost in the two infernos following prompt arrival of men of the state fire service to the scenes.

    Sources around the CS Park told our reporter that the fire started when some wedding guests were arriving at the park. Drinkers and other patrons fled in different directions as a result.

    A man, who gave his name as Ikechukwu, who claimed to have witnessed the fire outbreak, said the fire was so intense that the two fire extinguishers at the park could not put it out.

    Ikechukwu recalled that a similar incident had occurred on December 24, 2015 at the same venue, adding that if not for the arrival of the men of the state fire service, the loss of property in the park would have been as disastrous as the previous incident.

    He thanked God that no life was lost and also applauded men of the fire service for their gallantry.

    The Abia State fire chief, Mr. Victor Gbaruko could not be reached for comments, but a source in the fire service confirmed the two fire incidents, stressing that they were investigating the cause of the infernos.

    The source told our reporter that they saved property worth several millions of naira in the two incidents, adding that if not for their prompt response to the two distress calls, the whole CS Park would have been engulfed and adjourning buildings and shops near No.45 Jubilee road would have been consumed.

    The source said that sources told them that the owner of the lubricants was the incident occurred offloaded the consignment on Saturday before the unfortunate incident happened.

    According to the source, “there was no electricity supply at No.45 Jubilee and even in adjourning buildings. So, we are yet to find out what exactly was the possible cause of the fire incident and that of CS Park.”

  • Abia averts major fires

    The timely intervention of the Abia State Fire Service personnel has prevented major fires in Aba, the state’s commercial nerve.

    The fires started at two locations in the city on Sunday but were quickly put out by the firemen.

    The Nation gathered that the incidents occurred at a popular bar CS Park by Georges, and at No. 45 Jubilee Road.

    Properties at both facilities were estimated at above N900m.

    It was learnt that while the fire at the CS Park affected the Bush Bar, about eight to nine rooms were affected in the incident that happened at No. 45 Jubilee Road.

    Sources said that no life was lost in the two infernos following prompt arrival of men of the state fire service to the scenes.

    Sources around the CS Park told our reporter that the fire started when some wedding guests were arriving at the park. Drinkers and other patrons fled in different directions as a result.

    A man, who gave his name as Ikechukwu, who claimed to have witnessed the fire outbreak, said the fire was so intense that the two fire extinguishers at the park could not put it out.

    Ikechukwu recalled that a similar incident had occurred on December 24, 2015 at the same venue, adding that if not for the arrival of the men of the state fire service, the loss of property in the park would have been as disastrous as the previous incident.

    He thanked God that no life was lost and also applauded men of the fire service for their gallantry.

    The Abia State fire chief, Mr. Victor Gbaruko could not be reached for comments, but a source in the fire service confirmed the two fire incidents, stressing that they were investigating the cause of the infernos.

    The source told our reporter that they saved property worth several millions of naira in the two incidents, adding that if not for their prompt response to the two distress calls, the whole CS Park would have been engulfed and adjourning buildings and shops near No.45 Jubilee road would have been consumed.

    The source said that sources told them that the owner of the lubricants was the incident occurred offloaded the consignment on Saturday before the unfortunate incident happened.

    According to the source, “there was no electricity supply at No.45 Jubilee and even in adjourning buildings. So, we are yet to find out what exactly was the possible cause of the fire incident and that of CS Park.”

     

  • Kalu Uche fires fourth goal in India

    Kalu Uche fires fourth goal in India

    Kalu Uche netted his fourth goal in as many matches when he scored twice on Tuesday to help Pune City beat Kerala Blasters 3-2 in an India Soccer League game.

    Pune City top the league table with 12 points from six games.

    The former Espanyol forward scored in the 16th minute to level score at 1-1 and cancel Mohammed Rafi’s first minute goal.

    Uche gave Pune City the lead for the first time in the game at 2-1 in the 23rd minute.

    The 32-year-old striker has played for Espanyol, Neuchatel Xamax, Wisla Kraków, Al Jaish, Al Rayyan, Bordeaux and Kasimpasa.

     

  • WARRI WOLVES 3-0 GIWA: Adewale fires Wolves to victory with brace

    WARRI WOLVES 3-0 GIWA: Adewale fires Wolves to victory with brace

    Sikiru Adewale grabbed a brace as Warri Wolves were 3-0 winners over Giwa FC in a Nigeria Professional Football League match at the Warri City Stadium yesterday evening.

    Azubuike Egwuekwe was in the starting line up as Wolves made five changes to the side that lost at Gabros International in the opening weekend.

    Gbolahan Salami, Daniel Akpeyi as well as Gift Atuliwa and Adewale made their first league starts.

    New coach of Giwa, Tony Bolus made a change to the team that drew at home to Abia Warriors in match day one. Amos Gyang was replaced in the starting line-up by Jimmy Ambrose.

    The visitors should have been ahead inside the 10th minute when Ibrahim Shuaibu forced his way into the box, but his left-footed curler went inches over the bar.

    The Seasiders improved as the first half progressed, and broke the deadlock in the 16th minute when Salami struck a shot home after being played through by Adewale.

    Salami was then denied when Friday Achimugwu palmed away his 16-metre attempt.

    Giwa struggled to respond to the slick system of the hosts, and they were punished for more sloppy defending as Adewale stormed clear and fired into the net after beating the offside trap from Ichull Lordson’s pass.

    Achimugwu was unable to offer any resistance as the home team deservedly doubled their advantage. Wolves opened up a 2-0 half-time lead over Giwa in their NPFL clash in Warri.

    Adewale wasn’t done with his wonderful display as he latched on to Egwuekwe’s long ball and applied the finish mid-way through the second half.

    Giwa had the chance to reduce the deficit via the penalty spot. Semiu Liadi handled the ball inside the box and Daniel Akpeyi saved Ibrahim Shuaibu’s spot kick.

    There was plenty to admire about a vibrant Wolves as they beat a tepid Giwa side with a display that showed signs of improvement.

  • Emem Eduok fires hat-trick for Esperance

    Emem Eduok fires hat-trick for Esperance

    Nigeria forward Emem Eduok fired a hat-trick for Esperance on Saturday in a 5-0 spanking of AS Gammarth Soliman.

    The former Dolphins hitman doubled Esperance lead in the 35th minute, when he powered a left-footed shot into the top corner off a pass from Cruz Bejaoui.

    Cruz Bejaoui once more set Eduok for his second goal of the game in the 49th minute to make it 4-0 for Esperance.

    Three minutes later, he completed his hat-trick.

    The Nigerian lasted for 76 minutes before he was substituted by Ghrab.

    The Tunisian league resumes on February 14 and Esperance will be away to Hammam-Lif.

    Esperance are fourth on the league table with 25 points from 15 games.

  • Awoniyi fires hat-trick

    Awoniyi fires hat-trick

    • As Flying Eagles maul Basa Utd 8-0

    Taiwo Awoniyi fired a hat-trick as the Flying Eagles continued their preparations for the final AYC qualifier against Lesotho with an 8-0 pounding of non-league Basa United on Friday.

    The Nigeria U20 team will host Lesotho on August 15 with the reverse tie in Maseru two weeks later.

    The overall winners of this match-up will qualify for the 2015 AYC in Senegal in March.

    Awoniyi hit target in the 8th, 20th and 24th minutes as the Flying Eagles again ran up another big win.

    But Enugu Rangers ace Obinna Nwobodo also shone in midfield even though he did not get his name on the scoreboard.

    Awoniyi got going after just eight minutes when he smashed home a superb shot.

    Bernard Bulbwa doubled the advantage after 14 minutes, before Awoniyi got his second goal in the 20th minute, when he was set up by right back Ifeanyi Nweke.

    Alhassan Ibrahim ‘Muazam’ should have made it 4-0 three minutes later, but he failed to do so from inside the box.

    However, he then set up Awoniyi to complete his hat-trick a minute later.

    Muazam’s penalty was saved by the goalkeeper in the 26th minute and on the half hour mark, his clever chip failed to find its mark.

    Ifeanyi Matthew buried a fifth goal from the penalty spot in the 59th minute after substitute Chisom Eze was brought down inside the box.

    Eze then got his own goal three minutes later after he was put through by Abubakar Lawal. Ifeanyi Ifeanyi headed a corner by Ifeanyi Matthew for the seventh goal on 72 minutes.

    Wilfred Ndidi will complete the rout with a well-taken shot in the 79th minute, before Wasiu Jimoh and Lawal failed to convert begging chances in the closing moments of the encounter.

  • CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIER: Ambrose’s goal fires Celtic into 3rd round

    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFIER: Ambrose’s goal fires Celtic into 3rd round

    Efe Ambrose has told MTNFootball.com he is excited to score his first-ever UEFA Champions League goal for Celtic. Celtic beat Cliftonvile 2-0.

    “It was a great moment for me getting the goal. I am excited to score and happy with our qualification to next stage. I give God the glory for giving me opportunity to score my first Champions League goal,” Nigeria defender Ambrose told MTNFootball.com.

    The utility player out jumped everyone in the box to nod home Celtic opener in the 16th minute as they beat the Northern Ireland Club 2-0.

    The Scottish double champions thus advanced on 5-0 aggregate after winning first leg 3-0. They battle Elfborg of Sweden in the next stage of the competition. There were other Nigerians also involved in the Champions League qualifiers.

    Former youth international, Nurudeen Orelesi was the hero of Albanian champions Skendebeau as they laboured to a 1-0 win over Neftchi.

    Orelesi scored the only goal of the match in 116th minute after the game dragged into extra time. “I thank Allah for my first Champions League goal,” Orelesi said.

    Nigerian stars Emmanuel Ekpo and Daniel Chima were also part of Norwegian champions Molde, who went past Sligo United 2-0 to advance to the next round of the qualifiers on a 3-0 aggregate. They both lasted for the entire duration of the game.

  • Staying on the safe side of fires

    Staying on the safe side of fires

    Fire, usually deployed for human use has often been the source of calamities. Joe Agbro Jr. in this report touches on preparations to contain this risk

    When there is a fire, don’t panic. And don’t run,” Nicholas Laye quipped to the hall full of teachers, proprietors, and administrators last week while delivering a keynote address at the safety compliance conference organised by Lagos State Safety Commission (LSC) in collaboration with Lagos State ministries of education, women affairs and poverty alleviation, and Schoolrun consult. The event, the first of its kind for private schools, took place in the six educational districts of the state with the theme, ‘Safety culture and compliance.’

    Speaking on what he called the Nigerian perspective, Laye, who has worked in Russia, Turkey, and Abuja, dwelled on fire risks, bomb threats, intruder alerts, maintenance, classroom safety, and excursions. And in ‘setting up a safety management system’ Laye advised that such “systems should not be ad-hoc.”

    While none of the risks are trivial, the potency of bomb threats and fires loom higher in Nigeria. In the North East, bomb threats have lingered for the past three years, but all over the nation, fire incidents occur on a daily basis. Some of the worst fire outbreaks include the fire which killed 30 students at the girls’ hostel of Gindiri Girls School, near Jos, Plateau State in 2001. There was also the fire incident in 2002 at Ikorodu, Lagos where 25 workers died in a Chinese plastic factory. Investigations had revealed that the plastic factory was an illegal construction.

    And last year, according to figures from the Federal Fire Service, Lagos recorded 188 fire incidents. In Abuja, 69 people died in fire incidents in 2012 while the Abuja Fire Service received 486 fire calls. In Rivers State, 223 people died in fire incidents between January and November 2012 while properties worth N1.26bn were destroyed. In Oyo State, 38 people died in fire incidents in 2012 while properties worth about N1b were lost. And in Osun State, 31 people died in fire incidents while property worth N227m were lost.

    In 2013, fires have started devouring lives and properties already. In Oyo State, about 300 shops went up in flames at Agbowo market, Ibadan. Also, a section of the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III was also gutted on January 8. In Lagos, Makoko in Yaba, the Oko Oba Timber Market and Igando road, Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area, (LCDA), have also experienced fire incidents. In Ogun State, a pipeline explosion occurred at Arepo village, Owode, killing over 50 suspected vandals.

    According to the Rivers State Director of Fire Service, Oshogharhe Powa, most of the fires in the state occurred in residential buildings, especially houses built with woods and zinc, from electrical spark caused by illegal connection. “Some residents also caused the fire by refilling kerosene in their cooking stove and lanterns while they were on and some used candle light without holding it with the right stand,’’ he said.

    Also, the use of sub-standard electrical equipment was responsible for most of the fires in Osun State, according to the Director of the Osun State Fire Service, Timothy Ogunje.

    Striving for safety

    According to the Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mrs. Dominga Odebunmi, “what we realise is that people either deliberately or out of ignorance actually do not consider accepting any risks around them at all. We had to start re-orientating everyone.”

    Currently, the commission is concentrating efforts on public spaces such as work places, events centres, and schools. But, believing in the mantra of prevention, it is also beaming the safety light on construction sites. The commission also works in the area of building control and permit. Working with stakeholders, and in line with the building code, it has come out with a construction safety guideline. “In there,” Mrs. Odebunmi said, “we have input from the building control agencies and input from the planning.”

    “Right now, we are working with building agencies to go out and do on-the-spot checks. We have also sent out agents to go into various buildings, ongoing construction sites across the state to inspect. As I speak, we have covered over a 1, 000 (construction) sites. And we have sanctioned some of them and their cases are being treated by the legal department of the safety commission – the ones that have showed outright negligence to the guidelines that we have given them.”

    Prevention

    Relating an incident he witnessed about likely causes of fires in nightclubs, Taiwo said, “what people do now is that when you purchase a bottle of champagne, they bring it to your table with flares. You need to look at the flares to make sure they are not external flares because these things can cause a fire. Also, smoking is allowed in nightclubs and that can start a fire. And then, they sell spirits which can help fire to burn.”

    Sounding a note of warning, Taiwo said;.“When there is a need to be evacuated in an emergency, it is not the cause of fire or the reason for evacuation of people that will kill people, but the fact that people would try and get out as quickly as possible and the access way for them to get out is too small for the number of people in there. And so, you have an issue of stampede. These are some of the things the building code looks at but some people won’t follow it.”

    Recently a Brazilian nightclub fire killed over 234 people, most aged between 16 and 20. Commenting on the incident, she said, “that is worse than plane crash.”

    The buildings

    According to Odebunmi “if you look into that incident, the capacity of the nightclub was 1, 000 and they had a population of over 2, 000 which means 1, 000 persons in excess.”

    Speaking on the requirement for extinguishers, Taiwo said, “waiting for firemen to put off the fires should be the last resort.”

    According to Mrs. BC Akin Alabi, lead consultant of the Lagos State School Safety Compliance Initiative and principal consultant for Schoolrun consult, the conference which was targeted at school teachers, administrators, and proprietors was timely because of recurring safety hazards in schools.

    Speaking on the building codes, Taiwo said that while government cannot carry out risk assessment for all buildings, “there are common things that we can look at.”

    While adhering to the building code, there is need for caution. Already, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Fire Service, Olusegun Okebiorun, has warned Nigerians to be more safety conscious even as the service intends to enforce the National Fire Safety Code (NFC) on all public buildings.

    The arrival of harmatan has made this crucial and necessary for all to watch how they handle fire.