A fire incident in the early hours of Monday claimed the lives of a customs officer Tijani Kabiru, his wife and four of their children at their residence in Ede, Osun State.
Mr Kabiru, in his late 40s, was attached to the Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The fire reportedly broke out around 2:09 a.m. at the family’s home in the Olowopoku area of Ede. Sources indicate the blaze originated from an electric spark in the solar panel installed on the roof.
The family was asleep when the fire began. One of Kabiru’s children, a 13-year-old, was awake and reading at the time. Upon noticing the fire, the child alerted his father but found that the family members were already weakened by smoke inhalation. The boy managed to escape the house and sought help from neighbours.
Efforts to rescue the family were hindered by the house’s fortified security features including electric barbed wires and reinforced doors.
Residents contacted the Osun State Fire Service at 3:10 a.m., but by the time firefighters arrived, Kabiru, his wife and four children had died in the blaze.
Osun State Fire Service public relations officer Adekunle Ibraheem confirmed the incident: “It is true that one Tijani, a customs officer, his wife and four children were burnt to death. Only one of them escaped the scene.”
Ibraheem said the remains of the deceased have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force’s A Division for further action.
