Tragedy struck in Ado–Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, recently. Residents of Fajuyi Housing Estate had woken up in the morning of Saturday, August 23 to discover that a grandmother, simply identified as Mrs. Omoniyi, and her six-year-old grandson, Marvellous, had been burnt to death in their apartment in the estate.
The inferno also consumed valuable items in the victims’ two-bedroom apartment on Block 2, Flat 9 in the estate also known as Irewolede Estate on Ilawe Road, Ado-Ekiti.
The late Mrs. Omoniyi, who was in her late sixties, was said to be have retired from the state Ministry of Health a couple of years ago. Until her death, she was living with her son, the father of Marvellous, who incidentally travelled on the evening of Friday, August 22, a day before the tragedy struck.
A neighbour who didn’t like his name in print but lived very close to the deceased’s place told the reporter: “It was about 12am on Saturday morning that my little boy who had gone to the toilet ran to me and raised the alarm that something was happening at Mama Omoniyi’s place. Then I peeped through my window to check the building. I saw Mama’s neighbour, who lives in Block 2, Flat 10 running around mama’s apartment and shouting.
“Then I wanted to also go out but as a married man, I had to inform my wife about it first. When I told my wife, she cautioned and advised me to be careful and not just go outside as armed robbers could also use different tricks to get one. So, I returned to meet my boy in the toilet to clean up for him.
“But after about 30 minutes, I was still hearing the voice of the neighbour who was shouting mama’s name. I peeped again through my window. This time, I saw that the roof of the building was burning and there was heavy smoke in the apartment. There was also heavy smoke coming through the roof of the building. So, I assured my wife that it was a fire incident and not robbers. I rushed outside and joined the other neighbour. We tried to locate mama and the boy, but we couldn’t hear any noise coming from the house.
“We checked inside the two rooms but we didn’t see anyone. We were already thinking that mama probably went for a vigil when one of our neighbours said he heard the cry of a little boy. But we couldn’t go inside immediately because of the smoke.
“One of the problems I discovered about apartments in the estate was that there is no any other escape route apart from the door in the kitchen. So, you must get to the living room first and then locate the kitchen.
“In fact, the door leading to the sitting room from outside was locked and it was very hot and smoke already covered it at the time of the incident. When we contacted the fire service, it took them over an hour to put out the fire.
“We searched the apartment and discovered mama and her grandson by the dining already burnt to death. They must have been trying to get out. It was a horrible sight that brought tears to the eyes of everyone. Mama was a very friendly and peaceful woman.
“It was the fire service men that took their bodies away that early morning. The policemen came later to take pictures and check the building.”
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