Early hours of Monday, a devastating fire broke out in the Akankan Area of Ede, Osun State, claiming the lives of a Customs officer, Tijani Kabiru, his wife, and four of their children. The heartbreaking incident has left the community in shock as they grapple with the tragedy that unfolded at midnight.

Kabiru, who was attached to the Oyo/Osun Command, lost his life alongside his family in the inferno, which destroyed their home on the street named after him. According to witnesses, the fire was first noticed around 3 a.m., and despite prompt action by firefighters, the flames had already caused irreversible damage.

A neighbor, Kola, who witnessed the incident, recounted, “I can’t say when the fire started, but we observed smoke there at about 3 a.m. The response time of the firemen was not bad, but the house had been badly affected before the fire could be subdued. Kabiru, his wife, and four children were already burnt to death. But one of the children escaped.”

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Firefighters from the Ede Zonal Command, with backup from the Fire Service Headquarters in Abere, responded swiftly to a distress call made at 3:21 a.m. Despite their efforts, the fire consumed most of the property, leaving an estimated N200 million in losses while saving property worth N500 million.

The Osun State Fire Service spokesperson, Ibraheem Adekunle, confirmed the incident in a statement signed by the Director of the Service, Mr. Olaniyi Alimi. He revealed that the deceased included three boys and a girl aged between three and ten years. The lone survivor, a 13-year-old boy, miraculously escaped the blaze.

Following the tragic incident, the remains of the victims were handed over to officers from the A’ Division of the Nigeria Police Force. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.