The Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, has sympathised with victims of Tuesday’s midnight fire outbreak, which engulfed multimillion-naira property in Igede Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
The governor also condemned the reported cases of looting during the fire incident by some unscrupulous individuals, promising to investigate the masterminds of the looting and ensure they are brought to justice.
Oyebanji stated this in Igede-Ekiti during his visit to the site of the fire outbreak, which destroyed two buildings comprising six shops and several residential apartments.
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the inferno, which started around 1:30 a.m., razed two buildings and destroyed property worth millions of naira before men of the Ekiti State Fire Services intervened to contain the situation.
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Addressing the victims, Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, sympathized with those affected and pledged that the government would intervene to alleviate their suffering through the provision of relief materials.
He, however, expressed relief that no lives were lost during the midnight conflagration that destroyed the two buildings and several shops.
Oyebanji speculated that the inferno might have been caused by an electrical spark triggered by high voltage and the melting of wires. He emphasized the importance of shop owners switching off their electrical appliances at night.
On the reported looting during the midnight fire outbreak, the governor described the act as an extreme display of wickedness, noting that such behavior should not occur in a civilized society.
The governor also visited the palace of the Onigede of Igede Ekiti, Oba James Aladesuru, to sympathize with the monarch over the tragic incident and promised that his government would promptly begin the enumeration of property lost to facilitate intervention.
He said, “I believe the fire may have been caused by an electrical spark. The government has consistently warned our people to always switch off their appliances when not at home. Those who left their shops with the lights on contributed to this unfortunate incident, and it is deeply painful.
“The wires likely melted when the high-voltage electricity surged, resulting in a fire that spread across the two buildings. Please adhere to the government’s advice on the safe use of electricity.
“We sympathize with you. The news of these losses was deeply distressing to our governor. However, we assure you that we will intervene.
“The operatives of the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency will soon commence an enumeration of the victims and assess the extent of the losses.”
On the looting, the governor said, “I am deeply displeased that some individuals looted property instead of helping to mitigate the situation. This is unacceptable and cruel. We will investigate this matter thoroughly, and anyone found guilty will be arrested and prosecuted.”
One of the victims, Chinedu Nbamu, thanked the governor for the visit and urged that those who looted property be investigated and arrested to serve as a deterrent to others.
On his part, the Onigede of Igede-Ekiti, Oba James Aladesuru, expressed gratitude to the governor for showing compassion and empathy during such a trying time for the victims.
The monarch appealed to the government to act swiftly and provide palliatives to help the victims resume their businesses as soon as possible.
