Teen recounts miraculous escape as fire wipes out family of six in Osun tragedy

A 13-year-old boy has recounted his harrowing escape from a devastating midnight fire that claimed the lives of his father, a Customs officer attached to the Oyo/Osun Command, his mother, and four siblings in the Akankan area of Ede, Osun State.

The tragedy occurred early Monday.

The Guardian learnt that the family had gone to bed when the fire, reportedly triggered by an electrical spark following a power restoration, broke out around 2:40 a.m. Neighbours who detected smoke promptly alerted the Ede Fire Station. However, by the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had already engulfed much of the residence, leaving only the boy alive.

Spokesperson for the Osun State Fire Service, Ibraheem Adekunle, confirmed the incident, stating: “The address of the fire incident is Customs Tijani Kabiru Road, Akankan Area, Ede North Local Council. The street was named after the deceased, who was a Customs officer from the Oyo/Osun Command.”

He added that the victims included Mr Tijani Kabiru, reportedly in his late 40s; his wife, in her early 40s; and their four children, three boys and a girl, aged between three and 10 years. “The estimated loss from the inferno is around N200 million, while property worth N500 million was saved,” Adekunle disclosed.

The remains of the deceased were handed over to officers of A’ Division of the Nigeria Police Force.

Speaking to reporters, the lone survivor revealed that he had been reading in his room when the fire started while his parents and siblings were asleep in the master bedroom. “The fire caused thick smoke in the master bedroom, suffocating them and rendering them unconscious,” he explained.

In a desperate attempt to save his family, the boy said he entered the room and found his parents and siblings on the floor but was unable to pull them out. Neighbours, alerted by the smoke, scaled the fence and forced their way into the apartment. “As we tried to make our way into Alhaji’s room, the roof suddenly collapsed,” he recounted, adding that the neighbours managed to rescue him but could not save his family.