Tragedy struck in the early hours of Tuesday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, North central Nigeria, as a 30-year-old man, identified as Olabosun Isiaka, lost his life in a fire outbreak reportedly triggered by a fallen high-tension electricity wire.
The PUNCH gathered that the incident occurred between 4am and 5am in the Yakuba area, when a high-tension wire supplying electricity to the neighbourhood snapped after allegedly being left unattended despite prior warnings.
Speaking with our correspondent, an eyewitness, Mr Seyi Adunbarin, said the faulty wire had earlier shown signs of imminent collapse and had been reported to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company office in Ilorin, but no action was taken.
“The high-tension wire had almost cut off for some time, and IBEDC had been notified about it. Nothing was done before it eventually snapped,” he said.
Adunbarin explained that the snapped wire fell onto four other connected lines, sparking a fire outbreak that quickly spread across nearby buildings, leaving residents scrambling to salvage their belongings and prevent further destruction.
“When the wire finally cut off, it fell on other wires and caused a fire outbreak. Some houses around caught fire, and people were trying to remove their fuses to stop the electricity from worsening the situation,” he said.
“It was during the struggle to remove the fuse that Ismail got caught in the fire and lost his life,” Adunbarin added.
The deceased, a graduate of Kwara State Polytechnic, was described as a young man with a promising future who had only recently completed his mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps programme in December.
“He just finished his NYSC last December and was working hard to build his life. He was solely responsible for himself before this unfortunate incident,” Adunbarin lamented.
The fire incident also left his younger brother injured, as he reportedly sustained burns on his leg while trying to escape the inferno.
He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment.
“His little brother was also affected by the fire. It burnt his leg, but he survived and was taken to the hospital quickly,” he disclosed.
The incident was reported to the Police Division in Oke-Oyi, while the remains of the deceased were later moved to a mortuary in Oyun after his parents arrived from Lagos.
“We reported the case to the police in Oke-Oyi, but as of 5pm, when the body was taken to the mortuary in Oyun, nothing had been done to ensure accountability,” Adunbarin said.
Reacting to the incident, the Kwara State Fire Service confirmed that the fire was caused by a fallen high-tension wire, noting that the situation had been addressed.
The Public Relations Officer of the service, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, stated, “It was a high-tension wire that dropped on the floor, and it was fixed by IBEDC staff yesterday, April 7, 2026.”
Meanwhile, residents and sympathisers have called for justice over the incident, urging relevant authorities to hold those found culpable accountable.
Source: Punch News
