Five children between the ages of four and 12 were killed in an inferno in the Kirikiri area of Lagos State on Thursday.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the five children,
Emeka 12, Ifeanyi 10, Chinasa eight, Joy six, and Bright four, who are of the same parents, were burnt alive at their home located at 29 Comfort Oboh Street, Kirikiri.
The parents of the victims were identified as
Ogbonna and Margaret Igwuagwu.
Our correspondent learnt that although over 30 people live in the compound, which was
completely consumed by the fire, only the five
children died.
Sympathisers were said to have surrounded the premises crying and wailing over the incident, while charred remains of the victims were being evacuated.
According to residents, the fire started at about 11.30 pm in the room where the five children were sleeping and later spread to other rooms all made of wood.
The parents of the children were said to have
locked them inside the room and lit a candle for them as there was no electricity supply.
Neighbours said it was the usual habit of the
parents to lock the children inside the room
whenever they were going to their shop in the
evening.
It was learnt that the children slept off while the candle fell, thereby spreading the fire to other parts of the room. Woken by the heat, they were said to have shouted for help while the fire raged, but neighbours were too busy saving themselves.
One of the neighbours said the eldest son,
Emeka, had begged his parents not to lock them in but allow them to spend sometime outside but their mother refused.
“I can vividly remember when Mama Emeka
ordered her children to go and sleep, saying that she needed to go back to attend to customers who were waiting for her. Emeka, the eldest, pleaded that they should be allowed to stay outside for a while.
“She insisted that they should go to bed since
they were to travel the following day. I believe
that it was in a bid to prevent them from running out of the house that she locked them inside and went away with the key,” she said.
Some neighbours told journalists that they heard the wailing of the children when the fire was raging, but could not break through to rescue them due to a hard burglar proof that was used at the entrance of the room.
According to residents who witnessed the
incident, firefighters were informed but could not get to the scene due to bad roads in Kirirkiri.
A resident, who wished to remain anonymous,
said, “The road is not passable and there is always traffic congestion in that area. Men of the Naval Fire Service got here first, but they could not help the situation because the damage had already been done.”
One of the tenants, Udoh Bassey, whose room
was also burnt, told journalists that no one could say exactly what caused the fire.
“It started at about 11.30 pm when some of us were still awake. It was the cry from that room that attracted my attention. The entire
compound was razed down before help could
come our way. I was able to save a few of my
property because my room was located far away from the source of the fire.
“The children died because their parents locked them inside the house and went back to their shops close by. We tried but before we could reach them, there was an explosion from one room to the other as all the other rooms were razed down.”
When contacted, spokesperson for the state
police command, Ngozi Braide, said the parents of the victims had suffered shock and were rushed to hospital.
“At about 11.20pm, police received a call that a house in Kirikiri was on fire. The house was made of wood and corrugated iron sheets and the fire engulfed it. Five children died in the fire,” she said.

www.punchng.com/news/five-siblings-die-in-lagos-fire/

I nearly did not read this story not after reading of the tragedy in an Elementary School that left children dead...

Leaving a candle on in a house made of wood...what? Not in a stainless plate where the wax would easily fall on? And then as hot as everywhere is, leaving a candle on in a locked room that has five humans in it is simply not sensible...

Even if the parents ran a bar, what happened to the mother staying back at night with the children?

may their souls rest in peace.

Stupid parents,they killed their own children practically
Could not be saved because the eediotic parents locked the door,padlocked the burglary proof and went away with the keys after lighting a candle in the room
Unbelievable
In saner climes,they would be charged with manslaughter X 5 if not second degree murder kpa kpaa
The kids are in a better place,let these two living eediotic parents suffer their loss on earth especially since they are responsible for the killings
How much did they make from the okirika or whatever they went to sell in their shed
They already live in kirikiri,prison couldn't be far from them,let that be their next accommodation
Let this be a lesson to the other parents in the neighborhood
All the past rulers of Nigeria also have a hand in this death,had their been electricity in Lagos state,those kids may still be alive.


May their souls RIP

Whose fault. If PHCN gave us un interrupted power supply, would this have happened. For those blaming the parents, IMHO, she went to make money, afterall the kids and family will eat. Though I will advise people to use electric lamps and tourchs, but it just occured to me that in cases where their has'nt beeen light for 3 or more days the electric lamps must have gonne off and not even a lot of people can afford a generator.

All thesame may God grant their families the fortitude to bear the irrepairable loss.

Where do I even begin to reply? What can one say about this monumental tragedy?

I know it is easy to blame the parents, but then, these things happen and one can only reply on hindsight.

k2039: Whose fault. If PHCN gave us un interrupted power supply, would this have happened. For those blaming the parents, IMHO, she went to make money, afterall the kids and family will eat. Though I will advise people to use electric lamps and tourchs, but it just occured to me that in cases where their has'nt beeen light for 3 or more days the electric lamps must have gonne off and not even a lot of people can afford a generator.

All thesame may God grant their families the fortitude to bear the irrepairable loss.

I don't think it was just the mother that was catering for the children, yes she locked the door and ordered the children in.

Lanterns still exist na, so if there is no money to purchase electric lamps there is still the good old lantern.

My grouse is putting the candle on bare wood

babyosisi: Stupid parents,they killed their own children practically
Could not be saved because the eediotic parents locked the door,padlocked the burglary proof and went away with the keys after lighting a candle in the room
Unbelievable
In saner climes,they would be charged with manslaughter X 5 if not second degree murder kpa kpaa
The kids are in a better place,let these two living eediotic parents suffer their loss on earth especially since they are responsible for the killings
How much did they make from the okirika or whatever they went to sell in their shed
They already live in kirikiri,prison couldn't be far from them,let that be their next accommodation
Let this be a lesson to the other parents in the neighborhood
All the past rulers of Nigeria also have a hand in this death,had their been electricity in Lagos state,those kids may still be alive.


May their souls RIP

Imagine their cries for help and not getting any. Which makes me wonder if there was there no water in the room?

k2039: Whose fault. If PHCN gave us un interrupted power supply, would this have happened. For those blaming the parents, IMHO, she went to make money, afterall the kids and family will eat. Though I will advise people to use electric lamps and tourchs, but it just occured to me that in cases where their has'nt beeen light for 3 or more days the electric lamps must have gonne off and not even a lot of people can afford a generator.

All thesame may God grant their families the fortitude to bear the irrepairable loss.

Went to make money and locked the kids in and left with the keys when there is a 12 year old in the house
The mother killed her kids
Simple
Let her bear that pain

Enoquin:

Imagine their cries for help and not getting any. Which makes me wonder if there was there no water in the room?

Just like this shooting in the USA
Can you imagine the fear on the faces of these children knowing that death is staring them in the face
Sad
What will cups of water do to a raging inferno?

babyosisi:

Went to make money and locked the kids in and left with the keys when there is a 12 year old in the house
The mother killed her kids
Simple
Let her bear that pain

This is from the article: "The parents of the children were said to have
locked them inside the room and lit a candle
for them as there was no electricity supply.
Neighbours said it was the usual habit of the
parents to lock the children inside the room
whenever they were going to their shop in the
evening."

So, I don't think the mother is the only one to be blamed...

babyosisi:

Just like this shooting in the USA
Can you imagine the fear on the faces of these children knowing that death is staring them in the face
Sad
What will cups of water do to a raging inferno?

Mbok, don't make me imagine those children in the US...even these ones self...the final moments when they knew there was nothing that could save them...arrrrrghhhhhh