As a fire destroys 44 rooms in Kwara, 120 people become homeless.

In the Megida Onikahun compound, Edun Isale in the Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, a fire on Monday destroyed 44 rooms and left no fewer than 120 people homeless. The fire also spread to the nearby market.

Thick smoke engulfed the historic building as some Good Samaritans helped remove four elderly people from it.

However, the Kwara State Fire Service reported that no one was hurt during the event, which lasted for over an hour until their personnel extinguished the fierce fire.

Head of Media and Publicity of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, said the fire incident which started from a refuse dump in the morning was attended to around 11:08am by the state firefighters.

Adekunle claims that on Monday, January 15, 2024, “the Kwara State Fire Service operatives responded to a fire incident at Megida Onikanhun Compound, Edun Isale, Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State.”Due to a delayed call, the firefighters discovered Edun Market and the entire compound completely engulfed in flames when they arrived. A portion of the fence was taken down to provide improved access and aid in the battle against fires.

An assistant message for more personnel was sent to the Brigade Headquarters at 11:22 a.m. The skilled firefighters were able to control the situation in less than an hour and eventually put out the fire entirely.

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According to the investigation, someone who was not identified set fire to trash after mistaking it for innocuous smoke. Regretfully, it had spread to the adjacent compound, complaining that the event, which affected 44 rooms and a mosque in the 75-room Magaji Onikanhun Compound, had rendered over 120 occupants homeless. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, he stated.

At the scene were representatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the State Emergency Management Agency, and the Federal Fire Service’s Department of Disaster Management. According to him, the firefighters and market goods were protected from possible looting by the crowd control measures implemented by the NSCDC officers.

After the fire was brought under control, Adekunle said he sent his condolences to Kuranga Adebayo, the representative of Magaji Megida Onikanhun, on behalf of Prince Falade Olumuyiwa, the Director of the state Fire Service.

He said that in order to save lives and property in the state, the director urged the public to always be cautious, particularly during this dry season, and to never hesitate to call the fire department as soon as there is a fire in their area.