The Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, has condemned the looting of properties by some criminal elements during the midnight fire outbreak in Igede Ekiti, on Tuesday.
Oyebanji said this in Igede Ekiti during his visit to the spot of the fire outbreak that engulfed two buildings, comprising six shops and other residential apartments, promising to investigate the masterminds of the looting and bring them to justice.
The inferno, which started around 1.30am, razed down two buildings and destroyed property worth millions of naira before the men of Ekiti State Fore Services intervened to rescue the situation.
Addressing the victims, Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye, sympathised with the victims, pledging that the government would intervene to palliate their sufferings through relief materials.
He, however, expressed gratitude that no life was lost during the midnight fire that destroyed the two buildings and many shops.
Oyebanji said he suspects the inferno must have been ignited by an electricity spark caused by high voltage and melting of wires, saying this makes it expedient for shop owners to always put off their lights at night.
On the reported cases of looting during the midnight fire outbreak, the governor described the action as an extreme display of wickedness, which he said shouldn’t occur in an ideal society.
The Governor also visited the palace of Onigede of Igede Ekiti, Oba James Aladesuru to sympathise with the monarch on the highly painful occurrence and promised that his government shall swiftly commence enumeration of the property lost for intervention.
“I want to believe that the fire must have surged from electricity spark. The government has been crying and warning our people to always off their lights while not at home. Those who left their shops and refused to off the lights caused this and it was painful.
“The wires must have melted when the high voltage electricity came resulting in fire that spread across the two buildings. Try and heed the government’s advice on how we can effectively use our electricity.
“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 come to do the enumeration of the victims and the estimate of the losses incurred”.
On the looting, the governor , said: ” 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 that is indicted shall be arrested and prosecuted accordingly”, he vowed.
One of the victims, Mr Chinedu Nbamu, appreciated the governor for the visit, urging that those who looted property should be investigated and arrested to serve as deterrent to others.
Nbamu, who described the incident as worrisome and painful, added that no one could ascertain the source of the inferno while debunking the claim that the fire surged from his multimillion naira shop.
Expressing grief over the occurrence, the Onigede of Igede Ekiti, Oba James Aladesuru, appreciated the governor for displaying compassion and empathy at this highly excruciating time for the victims.
The monarch appealed to the government to act swiftly and start offering the victims palliatives to return to their businesses as quickly as possible.