Mother Of Newborn Recounts Escape As Fire Destroys 3 Buildings In Ilorin

A mother of two, Mrs Aisha Suleiman, has recounted how she escaped with her newborn baby and another child after a fire outbreak razed three buildings, including her apartment, at Oloje Housing Estate in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday.

Aisha said the incident occurred at about 2am when she woke up to discover a fire beneath her freezer, prompting her to alert her mother and attempt to extinguish the flames.

She said her efforts to put out the fire with water and detergent failed as the situation rapidly became dangerous, forcing her to abandon the attempt and rescue her children.

“What actually happened was, it was around 2am. There was no light. Definitely everyone was asleep. I heard the sound of electricity from my freezer, the downside of the freezer where the gas part is located. The sound was so loud, like it was freezing. The moment I woke up, I woke my mum up as well, that there is fire under the freezer,” she said.

Aisha explained that she tried to contain the fire using water and detergent but had to abandon the effort when it became clear that she could no longer control the situation.

“I immediately tried to put out the fire with water, but the attempt proved futile as the situation rapidly became dangerous. By the time I took my bowl, the bowl that I used in the room, I poured detergent and water. It absorbed like a magnetic force. I had to drop the bowl,” she recounted.

Realising the danger, she rushed into her room to retrieve her credentials and remove her kitchen gas cylinder before carrying her two children to safety.

“I dropped the bowl, I entered my room, picked my credentials, removed my kitchen gas cylinder, those two things. That was all I took, then I just carried my two babies,” she said.

The mother said the fire destroyed virtually all her household belongings, including her furniture, freezer, wardrobe, generator, kitchen utensils and other property.

She lamented that the incident was particularly painful because residents of the area had endured persistent electricity problems for about three years.

“There was no light. For the past three years, we have been having issues of light in this street,” she said.

Aisha also disclosed that an unusual electrical incident had occurred in the area about two weeks before Tuesday’s fire outbreak, although she did not provide further details.

The fire reportedly destroyed three buildings at the estate, including Aisha’s apartment, leaving affected residents to contend with the loss of their property.