One week after, Ibadan fire ‘rages’ on

• AfricCon News
  AfricCon Latest Nigerian Report:  One week after, Ibadan fire ‘rages’ on
  Africcon Media, Nigeria
  
  From: Africcon Media – Nigeria
  
  Monday, April 22, 2013, would be a day many residents of Omitowoju Street, Ibadan, Oyo State, would not forget in a hurry.
  
  It was a day of sorrow and shock as they incurred losses worth millions of naira. A fully loaded fuel tanker, trying to link Inalende, the adjoining street, had spilled its content on the hilly point of the road, while trying to turn towards Bola/Saint Stephen/Ode-Oloo Road, after it tumbled. The driver of the tanker had lost control, thereby causing a terrible explosion.
  
  He had avoided passing through Mokola Roundabout due to the construction of an over-head bridge. He decided to pass through the narrow Omitowoju Street.
  
  The explosion, it was gathered, was aggravated because a palm-wine joint in the area was preparing bush meat delicacy for its customers at the time. The fire that trailed the fuel flowed through the gutter and consumed all houses and shops at the set-back by the right side of the road.
  
  No fewer than 12 houses and shops were razed down during the unfortunate incident, which started around 6.30pm. Aside from the houses and shops that got burnt, Daily Sun saw the carcass of a Toyota Camry when it visited the scene.
  
  The owner, it was learnt, had just bought the car and was preparing for celebration with his friends and family when the tragedy struck. An eye witness said: “The owner of the car, who was behind the tanker before the incident, had to abandon the car and fled from the scene when it became obvious that nothing could stop the fire.” Alhaji Yinus Ajibade is a victim of the incident.
  
  He had his house seriously burnt while he also sustained severe burns. He was still receiving treatment at Jericho Hospital when Daily Sun visited the area. Hoodlums took advantage of the confusion created by the inferno and had a field day.
  
  A woman, simply identified as Alaba, a fashion designer, lamented that her sewing machines were stolen by people, who pretended to be helping her out: “I saw some guys, who pretended to be helping me rescue the goods from my shop.
  
  I did not know they were taking advantage of the confusion. Three of my machines were stolen by the boys. What saved me was that none of my customers’ clothes was stolen. I had a wedding cloth that was given to me by a customer in my shop. I thank God that I am alive.”
  
  Mrs. Aminat Wasiu, another victim, said she had to run out of the bathroom naked when the intensity of the fire was much and people were shouting her name: “I had to run out naked because I was too scared. Somebody later gave me cloth to cover my body.”
  
  She later discovered that both her shop and house were lost to the inferno: “I have lost all I have worked for in my life to the inferno. My house and my shop got burnt. I watched helplessly; I could not salvage anything. I watched helplessly, as my life was burning away.”
  
  She estimated her burnt goods to be about N500,000: “I am a fashion designer and a provisions seller. All the money I kept in the shop and home got burnt. I lost three sewing machines, three deep freezers, 80 crates of soft drinks and my customers’ clothes.” Mrs. Aminat Afolabi, a provision seller, whose shop was completely razed said the first thing that came to her mind was how to escape with her two teenage kids.
  
  She estimated her burnt goods to be about N600,000: “What came to my mind was how to survive together with those very vulnerable ones under me, including my child. We all survived by the grace of God but I lost everything that I laboured for over the years.
  
  She appealed to local and state governments not to abandon the victims as the incident could create hunger in many homes. Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, representing Oyo South, was close to tears when he visited the area: “We need to act fast, as political leaders to stand by the victims in this trying. I can assure you that they would get adequate and timely assistance from us.
  
  I have already set machinery in motion to that effect and action would follow in no time.” Governor Abiola Ajimobi also pledged government assistance to the victims of the fire incident. Moved by the extent of injury sustained by a landlord, Alhaji Yinusa Ajibade, he directed Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, to arrange for his treatment at government’s expense.
  
  He said he could feel the pains of the victims, as he had experienced a similar incident in 1992 when his newly-built house in Lagos was reduced to rubbles by fire.
  
  He, however, admonished them to see the incident as an act of God, adding that they should give thanks to God that no life was lost. The governor told those affected that he had asked some officials of government to compile their names and indicate the property lost. He warned them to be honest in the compilation in order not to jeopardise government’s plans for them.
  
  But some residents of the area condemned government’s approval for the construction of filling stations in such interior part of the city. According to Mr. Joseph Olaitan, the tanker was going to deliver fuel to a filling station in the area and had avoided passing through Mokola when tragedy struck: “You will hardly see a filling station in housing estates across the state except in such places as this area.
  
  Go to other areas like Amuloko, Muslim and other parts of the city, the same thing happens there. God will save us from these politicians and civil servants. They are the cause of our problems.”