Metro
Mother, two children killed as arsonists set family ablaze in Lagos
A 22-year-old fashion designer, Eniola Oduse and her two children, four-year-old Eri and two-year-old Onoara, have been burnt to death after suspected arsonists set their home ablaze at the Ita Marun community in the Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State.
The deceased’s husband, Kehinde, 25, who was also caught up in the fire, is currently battling for his life in an undisclosed hospital.
PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday that the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, November 26.
It was gathered that the family of four was asleep in their room on Monday night when some yet-to-be-identified individuals entered their premises at about 2 a.m.
The individuals were said to have sprinkled petrol around their apartment and specifically poured it into their room before setting it on fire.
The victim’s twin sister, Taiwo, who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday, said while her brother ran out of the room to seek help, his wife and two children didn’t make it alive.
She said, “The incident happened around 2 am. My brother and his family were already asleep when the people came and poured petrol on the building. Meanwhile, my brother had opened his window to allow ventilation. When they saw the window open, they sprinkled petrol in their room. The smell of the petrol woke the wife, who quickly called her husband’s attention to the smell.
“By the time they attempted to find out what was going on, they saw someone light a fire and throw it into their room. Kehinde, with fire on his body, quickly ran out of the house to call his relative living close to the house. Although the relative did not respond to his call, it was another neighbour who heard his voice and ran out to help.”
According to Taiwo, Kehinde’s wife and the two kids were already caught up in the fire when they returned to the apartment.
She said, “When they got back to the house, they saw the wife lying on the entrance of the house with the legs of her two kids in her arms. She actually tried to drag them out but the fire was too much and the kids were already dead at the time.”
Another member of the family of the victim, who identified himself as Razaq, said the couple were rushed to various hospitals at midnight but were rejected due to the degree of the burns.
He said they were moved around for medical attention for about seven hours before they were later referred to a hospital where they were later admitted.
“They were eventually taken into a hospital somewhere in Lagos where they were attended to. But at the time they got medical attention, they were both weak. Doctors tried to save the wife but she later died in the early hours of Thursday. We really can’t ascertain the situation of Kehinde at the moment.”
Our correspondent gathered that the victim’s deceased wife and children had been buried.
In a video sighted by our correspondent, the apartment was razed with the charred remains of the two children lying inside.
Speaking further, Razaq alleged that the cause of the incident was not unconnected to issues relating to land in the community.
He said, “The family has been under pressure and a series of attacks due to attempts to seize their land running into hectares from them. This was a part of what led to the death of their father about four months ago. His brother had also fled the community due to this, but Kehinde chose to stay behind because of his family. He was not at home for about some days. He only came back that Monday to spend the night with his family when this incident happened.”
The spokesperson for the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached as calls made to his phone were not responded to. A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Tuesday attacked an Abuja-bound bus belonging to GUO Transport Company along the Akunu axis of Ondo State.
The suspected kidnappers injured some passengers and left the vehicle riddled with bullet holes.
SaharaReporters obtained a disturbing video from the scene showing the aftermath of the attack.
Bullet holes riddled the body of the vehicle, and blood was visibly splattered across the front seats, indicating that some passengers were injured during the ambush.
“Make I come make them bring tyre out there. I thank God nothing happened to me. You no see wetin bullet do this place (Let us bring the tyre out of there. I thank God nothing happened to me. Can you see how they damaged the vehicle with bullets?),” the driver said in the video, pointing to damage on the bus caused by bullets.
The attack reportedly occurred between Akunu in Ondo State and Ayere in neighbouring Kogi State, an area notorious for frequent bandit and kidnapper activity, despite regular police checkpoints in the region.
“Kidnappers open fire on Abuja bound GUO bus shortly after driving about 3 minutes passing a police checking point Akunu in Ondo, before Ayare in Kogi state,” an X user who claimed to be privy to the development added.
One passenger could be heard urging others to re-enter the bus so the exhausted driver could rest.
When SaharaReporters contacted GUO Transport through its official WhatsApp line for comment, the company’s automated response said: “Thank you for contacting GUO Transport. We’d love to help, but we’re currently off work hours. We’ll attend to all enquiries in the next working hour.”
As of the time of filing this report, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, had yet to respond to multiple calls and follow-up messages seeking comment.
A devastating fire that broke out early Tuesday morning has reportedly destroyed at least 55 shops in the herbal medicine section of the Zamfara Central Market.
This incident follows a similar fire just six weeks ago, which also ravaged more than 100 shops in the same market.
The fire, which began around 1:00 AM, is still under investigation, and the exact cause remains undetermined. There are, however, suspicions that the blaze may have been triggered by flammable herbs stored in some of the affected shops, although no official conclusions have been reached.
Alhaji Sa’adu Dahiru, the chairman of the affected section, confirmed the scale of the damage and described the incident as catastrophic. “The fire also destroyed shops belonging to blouse and seasoning sellers,” he explained. “I know some of our members who have lost everything. These people have families to care for and depend on this business for their livelihood.”
Dahiru shared a poignant story of one of the traders who had stored ₦50,000 in his shop, intending to deposit it in the bank on Tuesday, but the money was destroyed in the fire along with his goods. He called on the state government to provide financial support for those affected. “I am appealing to the state government to look into our plight and offer us assistance,” he added.
Alhaji Ahmad Salihu Shinkafi, the Managing Director of the market, said the management is still probing the fire’s cause. He noted that some traders suggested that the blaze might have been sparked by a herb that is sensitive to excessive heat, which can cause it to explode. “We are still investigating to determine the exact cause of the fire,” he said.
Shinkafi also highlighted the preventive measures that had been implemented in the market, including a ban on the use of fire within the premises. “We don’t allow tea sellers, food vendors, or others who use fire near the market,” he explained. “So, only God knows what caused this inferno.”
As the victims assess their losses and call for government intervention, this incident underscores the growing concern over recurring fire disasters in markets across northern Nigeria, highlighting the need for improved safety measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
A 35-year-old man, Gaddafi Isah, and Badamasi Isah, aged 30, have been beaten to death by a mob over the suspected theft of livestock at Katsayal village in the Sandamu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
A counter-insurgency expert focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, made this known in a post on his X handle on Monday.
According to him, intelligence sources revealed that the two victims had driven their father’s vehicle to the outskirts of the village to learn to drive.
He stated that, in the process of the practice, a mob approached and accused them of stealing livestock.
He added that the mob surrounded the two men and beat them severely, causing them to sustain varying degrees of injuries.
“The victims were rescued by the security forces who were deployed to the scene and rushed to the Community Health Centre in Sandamu for treatment, but they were later confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he posted.
He also disclosed that the vehicle the deceased victims were driving was also damaged during the attack.
He noted that the police had launched an investigation into the incident, and efforts were underway to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the attack.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command, Abubakar Aliyu, did not respond to calls made to his telephone line.
A text message sent had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
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