Over 5,000 displaced as fire razes 5 houses, sawmill

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">L</b></span></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">AGOS—</b></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Fire, </span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Monday night, engulfed five buildings and a sawmill in Oko-Baba area of Ebute-Metta, Lagos, displacing over 5,000 persons.</span><br /> <div> <span style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: 'Candida BT', serif; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Fire-Razed-Cole-Street-in-E.gif" style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Fire-Razed-Cole-Street-in-E" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-460394" height="237" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Fire-Razed-Cole-Street-in-E.gif" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="412" /></a></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">Property worth millions of Naira were also destroyed in the inferno</span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The cause of the fire, which started at about 10.30 pm and raged till the early hours of yesterday, could not be ascertained.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, no casualty was recorded but several persons reportedly sustained injuries in the resultant stampede.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It was gathered that a similar incident occurred in the sawmill and bolt-up buildings last year.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Fire men attacked</b></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Vanguard</i></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> gathered that officials of the fire service, who arrived the scene to contain the fire, were attacked by some hoodlums, with one of the fire trucks smashed. The attack was said to have delayed the rescue work of the fire fighters.</span></span></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasaq Fadipe, said three fire trucks were deplored to the scene when news of the incident reached them.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On his part, the South-West spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said: “No casualty was recorded. We could not wait to count the number of houses affected. Except residents give number of houses affected, one cannot estimate. But they were just temporary structures built with planks. The fire consumed five bungalows built with sand concrete, multiple bolt up buildings and sawmill.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When men of the fire service arrived the scene, hoodlums struggled to take control of the fire fighting, thereby endangering lives but they were resisted and they turned against the firemen.”</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">…In Somolu</b></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Farinloye also said a three-bedroom flat and a two-storey building at 14, Ayodele Bajulaye, Somolu were also consumed by fire.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">LASEMA reacts</b></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, who also visited the scene, said: “The fire was put out by the combined effort of the Lagos State Fire Service, LASEMA and the Local Emergency Management Committee of the affected local government area.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LASEMA and men of the NSCDC are still on ground for assessment and enumeration exercise. Over 1,500 houses made up of shanties were razed by the inferno and also over 5,000 people displaced.  </span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sawmill equipment worth millions of naira were burnt. The equipment included spindle, saw machine, band saw, circular saw and generating machine.”  </span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He appealed to the public to be careful in handling electrical appliances and learn to quickly send alert if there is an emergency.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Victims’ account</b></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When </span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Vanguard</i></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> visited the scene, yesterday, some lucky victims were busy gathering their personal effects while the unlucky ones were lamenting their plights.</span></span></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Although, thousands of people were affected by the inferno but the sawmillers told </span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Vanguard</i></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> they lost several equipment worth billions of Naira to the inferno.</span></span></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The sawmillers, who spoke through their vice chairman, Mr Kedus Okoye, said many of them had closed for the day’s business before the inferno.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">According to the vice chairman, “the sawmill exists about 70 years ago but some retirees among us have sublet their shops and they have converted them to residential buildings.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the residents, who gave his name as Afeez, said: “I only moved in about three months ago after a friend moved out. I paid N60,000 for one year. Now, everything is gone and I do not have any place to go.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Another, a father of three, who identified himself as Donatus Mgbeje, said: “I have been living here with my wife and three children for three years and I have witnessed this type of incident twice.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The last one occurred last year during rainny season. No one can tell what caused that of last year and this one.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Anytime it happens, we w</span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ill begin to build again because we cannot afford money to rent accommodation elsewhere. We live like every other Lagosian here, the only difference is that while others live in concrete buildings, we live in makeshift buildings.”</span></span></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But some of the residents, who spoke to </span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Vanguard </i></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">on phone said the fire could have been caused by a lit candle.</span></span></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“This is not the first time an inferno will occur in this place but it is usually traced to the residential areas who refuse to understand that residential homes are not built near a sawmill. We want the government to come to </span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">our aid.”</span></span></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the saw-millers,a 53-year-old Chief Mone Titus, who was mostly hit by the inferno, was speechless when </span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Vanguard</i></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> visited to the area.</span></span></span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The indigene of Oyo State said: “I have been running the sawmill for the past 28 years and have invested alot. I lost a 180KV generating set, a complete sawmill and offices to the inferno.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“We need urgent steps to restore the sawmill. I have three undergraduates and many dependants, how will I feed them? This incident has thrown me back to square one.”</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Another victim, 43-year-old Jude Nnamani, said he also lost millions of naira to the inferno.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He said: “My lines were switched off throughout the night and as soon as they were on, the bad news came and I rushed to the scene to watch my source of livelihood being razed. I am finished, where else will I go?</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To 57-year-old Mrs Anthony Umeh, the inferno has caused a lot of damage to her family.</span></span></span></div> <div align="JUSTIFY" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0cm; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“My husband brought me here in the 70s but he is no longer regular here due to old age. With the present development, do you think I can feed the family? I lost saw-dusters and several engines to the inferno,” she said.</span></span></span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/5000-displaced-fire-razes-5-houses-sawmill/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_strip_container NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> -Vanguard Newspaper</div>

Over 5,000 displaced as fire razes 5 houses, sawmill

L AGOS—  Fire,  Monday night, engulfed five buildings and a sawmill in Oko-Baba area of Ebute-Metta, Lagos, displacing over 5,000 persons. ...

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Fire Razes The Busy Aleshinloye Market, Ibadan Nigeria

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="first" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The busy Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, has been gutted by fire a source closed to the area has told SaharaReporters.</span><span class="ds-1col file file-image file-image-jpeg view-mode-embedded centered clearfix block-story-object block-story-object-resource block-story-object-resource-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: block; margin: 0px auto 24px; max-width: 500px; width: 500px;"><span class="block-story-object-asset" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="" class="media-element file-embedded" src="http://saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/Fire-rages-at-Aleshinloye-Market-Ibadan_510x350.jpg?itok=b0VjiWgh" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image" /></span></span><span class="block-story-object-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; padding: 12px;"><span class="block-story-object-content-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block;"><span class="block-story-object-content-header-description" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; text-shadow: none;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fire rages at Aleshinloye market in Ibadan</span></span></span><span class="block-story-object-content-footer" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-top: 6px;"></span></span></span></div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The fire started around 11: 40 PM Nigeria time, leaving many residents close to the area panicky and running away from the area of the wild fire for safety.  </span></div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to the Source, who sent a text message to our correspondent, the cause of the raging fire is not yet known, but properties worth millions of naira have already been destroyed.</span></div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Aleshinloye market is known as one of the busiest shopping malls in Ibadan North area of Oyo state.</span></div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-shadow: none;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As at the time of filling this report, men of the fire service in Oyo state are rushing to the area to curtail the raging inferno.</span></div> </div>

Fire Razes The Busy Aleshinloye Market, Ibadan Nigeria

The busy Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, has been gutted by fire a source closed to the area has told SaharaReporters. Fire rages...

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