Tragedy struck on Buraimoh Street in the Bariga area of Lagos State on Wednesday after an early morning fire suspected to have been triggered off by a power surge, claimed the life of a pastor, Kenneth Eze; his wife, Favour; and their two children, Miracle and Marvellous.
Kenneth was reported to be the pastor in charge of World Harvest Ministry in the Gbagada area of the state.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the family of four lived inside a shop where Kenneth and his wife sold drugs and provisions.
Kenneth reportedly relocated his family to the shop after he could not raise money to pay rent for his former apartment.
Our correspondent gathered from witnesses that the Ikeja Electric restored power around 2am, which allegedly triggered off the fire in the shop.
The victims were said to have been trapped by the two-level security burglar proof at the entrance of the shop and its extension, leading to their death.
Officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and policemen from the Bariga division, were said to have responded to the emergency.
A LASEMA official was alleged to have collapsed during the rescue operation.
As soon as the fire was put out, relatives of the victims were said to have taken the corpses to their hometown in Umueze Ala Ogboko, in the Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State.
Burnt clothes, drugs, fans and a pot of vegetable soup were seen by our correspondent in the shop during a visit on Wednesday, as smoke still billowed from the dying flames.
Residents and family members of the victims also besieged the scene, as many sympathisers and passersby fought to catch a glimpse of the burnt shop.
Two other shops were affected by the inferno before the intervention of firefighters.
“I sleep in my shop as well because of the nature of my work. Power was restored around 2am and that was when the fire started. There was a sudden explosion in the shop. It was difficult to get close to the place because everywhere was on fire. The heat was intense.
“Later, firefighters brought out their corpses. It was the body of the woman that was brought out first, before those of the two children. They initially couldn’t find the pastor. After some search, they found his corpse in the shop, where he was probably attempting to find a way out,” the printer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
The two children, Miracle and Marvellous, were said to be aged six and three respectively.
A friend of the victim, Okechukwu Idoko, claimed to have mobilised some residents to put out the fire before the arrival of the firefighters, adding that their efforts were futile.
Idoko said he had discussed with the victim the previous day on the completion of his (Kenneth’s) house in the Ikorodu area of the state.
“He said he wanted to lay the tiles on the floor, and I advised him to put certain things in place first. That was our last discussion before he died. Despite the fire, the money he made from the previous day sales in the shop, and his telephone were intact,” he added.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Kenneth’s wife, Favour, had been sick for some time.
Her sickness was said to have been caused by two caesarean births, which left her bedridden. She had to be taken to the village for treatment.
A family member of the victim, Okey Emereonye, said the sickness affected the finances of the family, which made Kenneth to quit his former apartment and relocate the family to the shop.
He said, “When I visited them on Sunday at this place, I was surprised to see that she had returned from the village. She was making chin-chin, which she branded, ‘Mirvel,’ from the names of their children. I asked why Favour was brought back and Kenneth said he believed that being around her children would hasten her healing. I never knew it was the last time I would see them.
“Kenneth was the breadwinner of the family. His parents are still alive. They have been informed and the bodies of the victims were taken directly to the village through the help of his church members.”
The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, said the agency received a distress call around 2.48am, adding that the Alausa and Ilupeju fire divisions responded.
He said, “We met the fire well alight and our men put it out. There were two levels of burglar proof – one at the entrance of the shop, while the other covered the extension. We found it difficult to gain access because of the burglar proof bars.
“We should not turn our houses to prisons. Safety is very important. Every member of a family should know how the door is locked at night. We should discourage the use of keys to lock doors. When there is a fire incident, people should raise the alarm before it gets too late.”
He said the cause of the fire incident had yet to be established, adding that investigations were ongoing.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Chike Oti, confirmed the fire and the deaths.
“It happened inside a chemist. A man, his wife and their two children were consumed by the fire, which started early in the morning. We alerted the fire service and other emergency responders to the scene,” he added.
The Head, Corporate Communications and Media, Ikeja Electric, Felix Ofulue, said the IE was not aware of the incident.
He added that if the power company was at fault, the emergency workers would have informed the company.
alBHAGDADI: That is exactly why satanists, homosexuals, pagans, Muslims and atheists hate him. They've tried to use the media against him but he keeps on winning.
Full text of the White House remarks given by US President Donald Trump on December 6, 2017, in which he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. When I came into office, I promised to look at the world’s challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking. We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past. Old challenges demand new approaches.
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My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
In 1995, Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act, urging the federal government to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that that city — and so importantly — is Israel’s capital. This act passed Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority and was reaffirmed by a unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago.
Yet, for over 20 years, every previous American president has exercised the law’s waiver, refusing to move the US embassy to Jerusalem or to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city.
Presidents issued these waivers under the belief that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the cause of peace. Some say they lacked courage, but they made their best judgments based on facts as they understood them at the time. Nevertheless, the record is in. After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result.
Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering.
I’ve judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This is a long-overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement.
Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital. Acknowledging this as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace.
It was 70 years ago that the United States, under President Truman, recognized the State of Israel. Ever since then, Israel has made its capital in the city of Jerusalem — the capital the Jewish people established in ancient times. Today, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli Supreme Court. It is the location of the official residence of the Prime Minister and the President. It is the headquarters of many government ministries.
For decades, visiting American presidents, secretaries of state, and military leaders have met their Israeli counterparts in Jerusalem, as I did on my trip to Israel earlier this year.
Jerusalem is not just the heart of three great religions, but it is now also the heart of one of the most successful democracies in the world. Over the past seven decades, the Israeli people have built a country where Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and people of all faiths are free to live and worship according to their conscience and according to their beliefs.
Jerusalem is today, and must remain, a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross, and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
However, through all of these years, presidents representing the United States have declined to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In fact, we have declined to acknowledge any Israeli capital at all.
But today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. This is nothing more, or less, than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.
That is why, consistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act, I am also directing the State Department to begin preparation to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers, and planners, so that a new embassy, when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace.
In making these announcements, I also want to make one point very clear: This decision is not intended, in any way, to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians. We are not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved.
The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement. Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in those talks. The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides.
In the meantime, I call on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites, including the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al-Sharif.
Above all, our greatest hope is for peace, the universal yearning in every human soul. With today’s action, I reaffirm my administration’s longstanding commitment to a future of peace and security for the region.
There will, of course, be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement. But we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a peace and a place far greater in understanding and cooperation.
This sacred city should call forth the best in humanity, lifting our sights to what it is possible; not pulling us back and down to the old fights that have become so totally predictable. Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach.
So today, we call for calm, for moderation, and for the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate. Our children should inherit our love, not our conflicts.
I repeat the message I delivered at the historic and extraordinary summit in Saudi Arabia earlier this year: The Middle East is a region rich with culture, spirit, and history. Its people are brilliant, proud, and diverse, vibrant and strong. But the incredible future awaiting this region is held at bay by bloodshed, ignorance, and terror.
Vice President Pence will travel to the region in the coming days to reaffirm our commitment to work with partners throughout the Middle East to defeat radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations.
It is time for the many who desire peace to expel the extremists from their midst. It is time for all civilized nations, and people, to respond to disagreement with reasoned debate –- not violence.
And it is time for young and moderate voices all across the Middle East to claim for themselves a bright and beautiful future.
So today, let us rededicate ourselves to a path of mutual understanding and respect. Let us rethink old assumptions and open our hearts and minds to possible and possibilities. And finally, I ask the leaders of the region — political and religious; Israeli and Palestinian; Jewish and Christian and Muslim — to join us in the noble quest for lasting peace.
Thank you. God bless you. God bless Israel. God bless the Palestinians. And God bless the United States. Thank you very much. Thank you.
INTRO,
Hmm, So Eh,
Samklef
Samklef Turn On The Microphone, I Can’t Hear, I Dey Hear Response,
Aiit, Aiit,
CHORUS
Everyday Dem Dey Hustle Well Oh
The Possibility Dey For Hell Oh
Everybody Eye Dey Red Oh
Gunshots In The Air
Slavery Is A Thing Indeed Yeah
Everyday They Try To Leave Here
Don’t You Know It’s Hard To Leave Here
They Already But F**k It, I Ma Say It How I Feel it
VERSE 1
Look,
See Alot Of Issues But I Know Dey Never Stopping
I’m Here To Raise The Bar
Make Sure It’s Never Dropping
I See Many Street Kids, Surviving Like A Aladdin
The Only Difference It, There’s No Gennie Or Even Jasmine
And Boys Try To Travel Are Getting Caught up On Some Slave Sh*t
Here’s To The Government
Suckled On Some Slave D**K
Cos If You Made It Easy The People Wouldn’t Have To Travel
And Now We Have To Worry About The Bodies Underneath The Gravels
But That One Na Even Of Dem See Them Bury
But You Balling Like A Pro
I See You Self Curry*
I Know You Have The G-Boys But Want’s The Reason Why We Have It ?
You Wouldn’t Seek Food If You Had It
You Wouldn’t Be Cool If Your Life Was All Life
Check The Other Room To See If Your Wife Is All Wife
I Don’t Think So
Breath To The Point Of Genocide ?
I Don’t Think So
Here Is How I Think So You Understand Me From The Get-go
No Be The Money Wey The Man Dey Chop Na’him Come Be The Issue
Drop Your Gun On One On One See If We No Go Beat You
But Violence Is The Not The Way
I Hope You Take Your Own Advice
Because If I See My Own i swear to god— Bros Scratch Your Own Advice
My Phone Is My Property
Guess I Have The Owners Right
To Show You Who I Talk To
My Business Is Another Fight
Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone
I Know I’ve Not Been Perfect
Even In My First Home
The President Is Flying Out
Everybody Is Flying Out
But We Have Hospital Here Too
I Think You Should Try Dem Out
And Try To See The Bodies Of The Victims Of Sars
The Gunshot Wounds In This Life Of Ours
Cos The Rich Ones No Dey Go Through This Kind Of Issue
The Rich Ones No Dey Go Through This Kind Of Issue (Kind Of Issue X 2)
CHORUS
Everyday Dem Dey Hustle Well Oh
The Possibility Dey For Hell Oh
Everybody Eye Dey Red Oh
Gunshots In The Air
Slavery Is A Thing Indeed Yeah
Everyday They Try To Leave Here
Don’t You Know It’s Hard To Leave Here
But F**k It, I Ma Say It How I Feel it
Sports / Re: Omeruo, Leon Balogun And Iwobi Pose For A Selfie In Russia by Stemalex(m): 3:15pm On Jun 12, 2018