Metro

Property Destroyed, 20 Residents Displaced As Gas Explosion Rocks Port Harcourt

Published

2 years ago

April 4, 2023

…Victims Blame Firefighters’ Lateness

Goods and property worth millions of naira were destroyed following a gas explosion from a fire incident in a set of apartments at Awkwuzu Street in the Diobu area of Mile One in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Following the intensity of the explosion, over 20 affected occupants of the building precisely on No. 9 Awkwuzu Street were displaced.

It was observed that while many of the affected residents watched the raging fire helplessly consuming their property, amidst wailing, a thick black smoke billowed into the atmosphere.

Eyewitnesses said the fire started at about 8am when a faulty gas from one of the rooms exploded and spread to the other apartments.

One of the affected occupants who gave her name as Esther told our correspondent that the fire started from the roof of a women who left her cooking gas on and went to the hospital.

While noting that the camp gas was faulty, she said the woman didn’t know she hadn’t properly turned the gas off before leaving home.

The lady while narrating the incident in an emotionally laden voice said none of the occupants was able to salvage any property from the building due to the speed of the inferno.

She stated, “Somebody, a woman, unknowingly left her gas on. You know how this camp gas behave when the regulator is bad.

“Probably, she turned it off thinking it was off but I think she didn’t observe it well. So she took it inside her apartment, locked the door and left for the clinic.

“Before people could realise, it had burnt and exploded. That was the cause of the fire. Unfortunately nobody was able to pick anything out of the place. The place was completely razed.”

Another resident said it was unfortunate that for nearly two hours that the fire was on, firefighters did not show up to try to put it out.

“No fire service came, either from the state or federal. If they came at least some people would have rescued some valuables of other property,” he lamented.

He said aside personal property and buildings lost to the fire, about five shops belonging to traders in front of the building were also consumed in the inferno.

The PUNCH reporter who visited the area observed that earlier, policemen from the Mile One Division were on the ground to ensure that hoodlums didn’t catch in on the situation to loot peoples’ property when the fire started.

The situation attracted sympathizers and onlookers some of whom were half dressed, while those in the opposite building hurriedly carried some valuable property for fear of the fire spreading to towards their direction.

When contacted, the Commander, Federal Fire Service in Rivers State, Abdul Alfa said he was aware of the incident, but expressed regrets that its men were not able to get to the scene because their operational vehicles were under maintenance.

While sympathizing with the affected residents, he said the federal fire service under his watch responds to every distress call on that nature but that it was handicapped due to the situation of its vehicles.

Alfa stated, “Not that we didn’t turn up. The problem is that our vehicles are of the road. They are under maintenance.

“But I tried to call the fire department from some of the companies here in Port Harcourt to see how they can assist. If our vehicles are in order what are waiting for? It is our job and we don’t waste time in responding to such distress calls because we know it is an emergency situation.”

PUNCH

Metro

Six Killed, Nine Injured In Fatal Crash On Lekki–Epe Expressway

Published

1 hour ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

Six people were confirmed dead, and nine others sustained injuries in a road accident at Ibeju Bus Stop along the Lekki–Epe Expressway in Lagos State.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority said the crash occurred on Monday when a blue Volvo FL6 truck loaded with wooden planks rammed into a white commercial bus with registration number AKD 336 YD.

The fatalities included two men, three women, and a child. Four other occupants of the bus escaped unhurt.

LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, said officials, with support from other emergency responders, swiftly rescued the survivors.

“The nine injured survivors were swiftly extricated by LASTMA officials with support from other emergency responders and immediately conveyed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Epe and Hammond Hospital for urgent medical attention.”

He added that LASTMA worked in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps to evacuate victims and clear the accident scene.

LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, condoled with the bereaved families and cautioned motorists against reckless driving, particularly overspeeding. He urged drivers to remain vigilant, obey traffic laws, and avoid distractions, especially during the Ember Months, a period known for frequent road crashes.

He added that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the FMC morgue in Epe, awaiting formal identification by their families.

Taofiq said the four unhurt survivors received immediate attention from the LASTMA Rescue Unit, working with other agencies.

Metro

NSCDC Arrests 84-year-old, Teenager For Vandalism

Published

2 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Gombe State Command, has paraded an 84-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy arrested for alleged vandalism of transmission power cables in the state.

Addressing journalists at a press briefing on Monday, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Superintendent of Corps Buhari Saad, who represented the State Commandant, Jibril Idris, said the duo were apprehended with several meters of vandalised aluminium cables.

According to him, the suspects, identified as Salisu Muhammad, 84, of Anguwa Idi, Gombe, a scrap marketer, and Muhammad Tahiru Babayo, 14, of Anguwa Dawaki, Gombe, a welder and fabricator, were caught with the items at Salisu’s shop located in Anguwa Uku.

“The two were involved in the act of vandalism and were caught with critical national assets, transmission power cables.

“They will be charged to court for vandalism and unlawful possession of vandalised items,” the commandant stated.

The NSCDC boss noted that the arrest was part of renewed efforts by the command to protect critical national infrastructure from criminals who target public utilities for selfish gains.

He warned vandals to desist from the illegal act or leave the state entirely, stressing that the command will continue to track and apprehend perpetrators of such crimes.

“We want to strongly warn vandals to steer clear of Gombe State. We will get them wherever they are.

“Security agencies are determined, but we also urge citizens to report suspicious activities because security personnel are not spirits and cannot be everywhere,” he added.

Metro

Father, Son, 72-year-old Arrested For Defiling Minors

Published

2 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Monday paraded a father and son over the rape of a 13-year-old girl.

The father, Ibrahim Haruna, a 48-year-old and his 15-year-old son, Abdusalam Ibrahim, were identified as suspects.

Parading the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Gombe, the Public Relations Officer, SC Buhari Saad, decried the spate of kidnapping in the state.

He said, “The second category of people that we have, we have three suspects that are involved in rape, gross indecency and defilement.

“They are, one, Ibrahim Haruna, aged 48, of Jekarifari. He is a tailor by occupation. We also have Abdusalam Ibrahim, aged 15, of Jekadefari.

“The two people were involved in some acts of rape, gross indecency and defilement.

“It’s now a worrisome pattern; the case of rape is taking place in the state. The father has been committing this act of rape at his shop, while the son usually takes his turns at their residence. They took advantage of the young girl who is 13 years old.

“She happens to be their neighbour who has some mental illness. So they took advantage of her and have been raping her serially.”

Also paraded was 72-year-old Balarabe Suleiman, from Yelanguruza, who was alleged to have lured a 13-year-old girl into his car and raped her serially.

“He’s been giving her the sum of N200 for every act. And in this instance, it is the lady, the young girl, who became tired of his escapade and informed her parents. The case is still under investigation”, he added.