Fire Outbreak: Tenant absconds, blames arsonist

Owners of a block of three flats that was engulfed with fire at about 5:30pm, Friday, October 10 at No.14 Yembra Street, Enerhen Road, Effurun, Delta State, the Ojo familysay the tenant responsible for the fire outbreak, Mr. Soji has absconded, Fresh Angle Internationalcan exclusively report.

A representative of the Ojo family, Mr. Romans Ojo explained that the tenant, Mr. Soji told them that the fire incident was the handiwork of an arsonist.

Mr. Romans Ojo made the disclosure during a damage assessment with the rest of his family members on Saturday, October 11, few hours after the Friday evening fire outbreak at the family compound.

Our Correspondent reports that the fire outbreak which started from a Zinc house occupied by Mr. Soji damaged the building and properties worth millions of naira at late Chief Sunday Ojo’s compound.

Investigation revealed that the fire started from the Zinc house, adjacent to the block of flats, few minutes after the Enerhen District of Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC restored power supply in the area. An eye witness said Soji’s wife left 15 minutes before the BEDC restored power and it was discovered that the fire started from the electric cooker at Soji’s kitchen while cooking beans.

The charred gas cooker and the pot of beans beside it, on the far side is a burnt generator.

 A man who lives in the neighbourhood, who was among those that tried putting out the fire at the onset, Mr. Shedrack Eke said some children came to call him that fire was burning Ojo’s compound so he ran to the scene and joined those trying to put out the fire.

He explained, “when we got there, Soji’s kitchen had already flamed up. Luckily, there was a drum of water by the side of the kitchen. So we started dishing water from the drum and pouring it into the inferno, that was how the fire went out of hand. We continued pouring soapy water until we ran out of water from the well and we were helpless to an extent before the fire service arrived”.

He averred that when the fire service arrived, the fire had already spread to the adjacent building, which the fire fighters tried putting out until they ran out of water and called for another truck to supply water, but were informed that there was traffic congestion at Airport Road.

Aftermath of the fire outbreak

Another person who assisted with supplying the neighbours water in putting out the fire, Mrs. Juliet Ossai, a provision kiosk owner, said she supplied water till late in the night.

In a related development, a resident of Yembra Street, Mrs. Regina Eke narrated how her house almost burnt down on Friday, October 3 as a result of fluctuating voltage. According to her, “the fire started from the extension in my room. That very day (October 3) I was supposed to go to work by 9:00am but I was feeling reluctant. At 9:00am I went to fetch water in the well, fifteen minutes later BEDC supplied the light and about fifteen minutes after, when I entered the room it was covered with smoke and fire was emanating from the extension plugged to the socket at our room where I plugged rechargeable lamps”.

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