Six family members, including a Customs officer, identified as Tijani Kabiru, his wife, and four children, perished in a fire that engulfed their home in the Olowopoku area of Ede, Osun State, in the early hours of Monday.
Kabiru was attached to the Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The fire reportedly began around 2:00 a.m. and is believed to have been caused by an electric spark from the solar panel installed on the roof of the building.
A source close to the scene told The Nation: “One of the children, a 13-year-old, was awake and reading when the fire started. He noticed his father and family members were overcome by smoke.
“Although he managed to escape and raise the alarm, the security setup of the house, including electric barbed wires and fortified doors, made rescue efforts challenging.”
He said fire service personnel were alerted around 3:10 a.m., but by the time they arrived, the victims had succumbed to the blaze.
The lone survivor is receiving care and remains in shock from the traumatic incident.
The Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Fire Service, Adekunle Ibraheem, confirmed the tragedy, stating, “The bodies of the victims have been handed over to officers from the A’ Division of the Nigeria Police Force.”
