Relatives of the
Gbadamosi family of Kajola-Ijesha in Atakumosa West Local Government
Area of Osun state are yet to come to terms with the shocking death of
four members of the family who were burnt to death in a late night fire,
the cause of which remains a mystery days after.
Mr
Lateef Gbadamosi, his wife and two children perished in the tragic
incident. Family belongings including furniture, electronics, cooking
utensils and other household materials were lost in the fire too.
One
of the deceased’s children, Mutiat Gbadamosi survived, because she was
absent from home during the inferno. She rushed back to the family home
located at Isale Oja Street from the mosque where she had gone to
observe the late night Ramadan prayers, only to watch her parents and
siblings who were hale and hearty a few hours earlier being consumed by
the raging inferno.
“I came back from the mosque where I had gone
to pray at midnight and saw a large crowd in front of our house. I saw
my father and mother being burnt by fire. He made an attempt to jump
through the window but fire eventually caught up with him and he died.
Also my brother made an attempt to jump out of the house but his clothes
caught fire and he also died. We lost four people on the same day. It’s
so painful,” 20-year-old Mutiat told Sunday Sun.
She debunked the
claim that an electric power surge triggered the fire, saying it was a
mystery as there had been no electricity supply to their house since it
had been disconnected for over a month.
“It was a rumour that the
fire was caused by an electric power surge. There was no electricity in
the house for over a month now and the whole family had been sleeping in
darkness. We all slept in darkness on that fateful day and no one
lighted a candle or lantern. We were all using torchlights. My dad just
labored in vain. He worked and he was not allowed to eat the fruits of
his labour. He died when we needed him most. He was not allowed to
fulfill his dreams. He had told us of his desire to do certain things
this year, but his untimely death has prevented him from doing them. My
mum and dad were lovers of their people but they both died same day.
That is why the whole community is mourning their demise and everywhere
is gloomy in our town now.”
Explaining how she escaped death,
Mutiat said, “I was also sleeping at home but left home for prayers at a
nearby mosque and also woke my parents up to join me for the prayers
but they declined. I also tried to convince my other siblings to join me
for the prayers but they complained that they were tired. I later left
home for the mosque to observe the prayers and it was at the mosque I
got the news that our house was on fire.”
She added, “When I got
home, we called officials of the state Fire Service in Osogbo and they
responded timely but their efforts could not stop the fire. The fire
spread despite the efforts of good Samaritans in the community and
officials of the fire service.
“I heard my father shouting for
help on top of his voice before he finally gave up the ghost, but it was
too difficult for anyone to move close to him and others in the fire. I
watched all of them as they were burnt to death. People really tried to
rescue them but we could not help the situation.”
She appealed to the state government to assist her and her surviving siblings to complete their education.
Her
late father, Mutiat said, had two wives and 12 children as well as many
relatives who relied on him for survival, lamenting that the vacuum
created by his death would be too difficult to fill.
Describing
her father as good-natured, she said he was nice to all members of the
community and they would all miss the assistance he rendered to most
people free.
The incident has thrown the entire community into
deep mourning. It was said to be the first fire incident in the history
of the town.
Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Laoye-Tomori
who visited the town to commiserate with the people expressed shock and
concern at the death of the four family members in such a horrible
circumstance, promising that the state government would take care of the
remaining children.
Mrs. Tomori who gave some undisclosed amount
to the eldest child of the deceased admonished residents of Kajola to be
vigilant, assuring that the state government would ensure that measures
were put in place to avoid a re-occurrence.