Ghastly fire incidents nationwide despite rains

…Grandma sets son, wife, grandchildren, self ablaze
…Kidnappers burn four to death in Ogun
…Two burnt, seven injured in Lagos market fire outbreak
…28 roasted in Niger, Bauchi auto crashes
…B’Haram bomb maker blows up self with own IED

DESPITE the heavy rains across country, there has been a worrisome trend of five incidents in many parts of the nation with scores with scores of deaths reported.

  A 73-year-old woman, who was simply identified as Iforiti, has set her son, Victor her daughter-in-law, Rachael and her two grandchildren ablaze before burning herself to death in Ondo State.

  The incident occurred in Aponmu community of Akure South Local Government Area, yesterday.

  Residents broke into the house through the window for rescue after burnt corpses’ smell starting coming from the premises rescue.

  The burnt family members’ bodies were taken to Federal Medical Center, Owo.

  A sources in the community said Iforiti took her life and that of her immediate family members after she was labelled a witch, recently.

  According to the source, she used the time her children were fast asleep to lock up their rooms from outside before setting them ablaze after which she also set fire on herself.

Neighbours said all have not been well in the family following incessant quarrels between Iforiti and her son’s wife whom she accused of maltreating and starving her amid allegations that she was planning to kill her, the daughter-in-law.

  In another development, residents of Kori-Oja and Bisodun villages in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State are currently gripped with fear following two reports of kidnapping during which kidnappers burnt four of their victims on Tuesday, for failing to pay the ransoms placed on their heads.

  Also, at least two bodies were recovered and seven others were fatally injured in the five-storey building fire outbreak at Balogun Market in Lagos Island, destroying goods and properties worth millions of naira, yesterday.

  Confirming the report, Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Adeseye Margaret, said the penthouse of the affected building has shown signs of collapse.

  “The penthouse used as a store on the 5th and 4th floors has shown signs of falling due to the heat,” he said.

  In a related development, 28 persons were roasted to death in  two cases auto inferno on Monday night in Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State and Azare Local Government Area, Bauchi State, on Tuesday.

  Niger State Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps, Kumar Tsukwan, confirmed the accident, yesterday.

  According to him, about 87 people were travelling in the truck with registration plate MSA 72-XDwhen it caught fire.

  Similarly, five persons were yesterday burnt beyond recognition in a fatal accident that occurred at Panshanu in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

  According to Bauchi State Command of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), the accident which occurred at about 6:25am on Bauchi-Jos highway involved two commercial vehicles, a Toyota Hiace with registration number, KGG 26 LG and a Peugeot Boxer J5 without registration number.

  Also, a Boko Haram bomb maker, one Awana Gaidam, has died after he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) he made by himself after he planted it for Nigerian troops in Borno State.