Over 300 Families Displaced by Fire in Lagos

No fewer than 300 families have been rendered homeless by fire which razed down their houses at Kuramo area of Ajah, Lagos. All the houses affected by the fire are wooden houses occupied mainly by fisher men and sellers of local gin also known as Ogogoro. Today’s fire incident is the second in a roll […]

No fewer than 300 families have been rendered homeless by fire which razed down their houses at Kuramo area of Ajah, Lagos. All the houses affected by the fire are wooden houses occupied mainly by fisher men and sellers of local gin also known as Ogogoro.

Today’s fire incident is the second in a roll within two days. A similar incident occurred at Ije Barracks Obalende in which about 24 police families were rendered homeless.

This is even as hoodlums on Wednesday night attacked and destroyed fire fighting equipments belonging to both the Federal and State Fire Service along Church Street, Ketu, Alapere area. The fire men were said to be responding to a distress calls when hoodlums tried to hijack their machines

As at the time of filing this report, firemen from both Federal and State were still battling to salvage what was left of the structures at Kuramo area of Ajah.

One of the victims told Daily Trust that the fire outbreak was caused by a candle that was lit on a wooden stool in one of the wooden houses in the area.

The victim who identified herself as Madam Julie alleged that the fire started around 7 pm from one of the houses, but that it could not be contained by residents because of the moody nature of the area.

“Some of us were out side selling when suddenly we heard the cry of fire from one of the houses. At first we thought, it was a minor thing only for us to see later that the fire had entered the roof of the house.

“We sprang to our feet, dashed to the place where the fire was raging, to see others battling to contain the fire within the affected house. The swampy nature of the environment made it difficult for people to quickly fetch water.

“The proximity of one house to another did not help matters as it spread from one roof to another. By the time it became obvious that it was going to be difficult, those around left the sight to go and see if the can rescue what was left of their property” she said.

Pointing to where her apartment was ones located, the middle aged woman said all her life saving went up in the inferno.

“We do I go to from here, I left my home town in Arogbo Ijaw, Ondo state to Lagos to do petty trading. It was one of my friend who brought me here five years ago from Ijora where I was living before” she said trying to fight back the tears from her eyes.

Another victim identified as Tobi alleged that he was still at work when the fire stared. According to him, it was one of his neighbors that called to inform him of the incident.

“By the time I got home all my property had gone with the fire. I do not know where to go now, I am pleading with both the State and the Federal Government to come to our aid” he said.

The Public Relations Officer of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the South-West region, Ibrahim Farinloye who confirmed the fire out break said that the Kuramu incident was one out of two fire incidents which the agency responded to on Wednesday night.

According to him, the first distress call they received was from Church Street, Ketu Alapere during which hoodlums damaged the windscreen of one of the fire fighting trucks.

“That is Kuramo, at Jakande area of Ajah razed down about 300 shanty houses. Fortunately no one died and no injury was recoded” he stated.

Lamenting the plight of fire men, Farinloye said that  the attack on firemen and the destruction of trucks was becoming one too many.

“The attack was as a result of the arrival of the firemen which was no fault of theirs. They got the alert on the fire outbreak late. When they arrived the place hoodlums tried to take control if the fire fighting equipments and were resisted by the officials. Angrily the hoodlums resulted in attacking the rescue workers” he added.

Farinloye who used the opportunity appealed against the frequent attacks on emergency workers who are more professional in the handling of fire disasters.

“The constant threat to their lives will mean that they would think twice before responding to distress calls if the hostility is jot stopped” he added.