The Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, has denounced the acts of looting by criminal elements that marred the midnight fire outbreak in Igede Ekiti on the 21st of January, 2025.
During his visit to the scene of the tragedy, where two buildings comprising six shops and several residential apartments were engulfed, Oyebanji pledged to uncover the perpetrators of the looting and ensure they face justice.
The fire, which erupted around 1:30 a.m., consumed property worth millions of naira before the Ekiti State Fire Service contained the blaze.
Speaking through his deputy, Monisade Afuye, the governor sympathized with the victims and promised swift government intervention through the provision of relief materials.
While expressing gratitude that no lives were lost, Oyebanji attributed the incident to an electrical spark caused by high voltage and melting wires.
He urged shop owners to heed government warnings and always turn off electrical appliances when not in use to prevent such disasters.
On the reports of looting during the fire, Oyebanji condemned the act as “an extreme display of wickedness” that has no place in a civilized society.
“I am not really happy that some people were looting property when they were to help safeguard the situation. This is bad and wicked. We are going to investigate this, and whoever is indicted shall be arrested and prosecuted accordingly,” he vowed.
The governor also visited the palace of the Onigede of Igede Ekiti, Oba James Aladesuru, where he extended his sympathies to the monarch over the tragic incident.
He assured that the government would immediately begin an assessment of the damages to facilitate necessary interventions.
“I want to believe that the fire must have surged from an electricity spark. The government has been crying and warning our people to always turn off their lights when not at home. Those who left their shops and refused to heed this advice caused this, and it is painful. The wires must have melted when the high voltage electricity came, leading to the fire that spread across the two buildings,” the governor said.
He emphasized the importance of adhering to safety measures, saying, “We sympathize with you. The news about these losses was not pleasurable to our governor. But we are assuring you that we will intervene. The operatives of the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency will soon commence the enumeration of the victims and the estimate of the losses incurred.”
One of the victims, Mr. Chinedu Nbamu, expressed appreciation for the governor’s visit and called for a thorough investigation into the looting. He described the incident as both painful and worrisome, disputing claims that the fire originated from his multimillion-naira shop.
Sharing in the grief of his people, the Onigede of Igede Ekiti, Oba James Aladesuru, thanked the governor for his empathy during such a trying time. The monarch appealed for urgent government action to provide palliatives, enabling the victims to rebuild their lives and businesses swiftly.