A 75 year old man, Lamina Ishola, was on Thursday night burnt to
death in a fire outbreak at Isale Aro area of Osogbo, the Osun State
capital.
A family source told journalists on Saturday that the fire started
around 9:30pm on Thursday from the deceased’s room and burnt him to
death before help could come.
Isola who was said to be sick accidentally kicked a bush-lantern
placed by his side while sleeping. The lantern, was said to have caught
fire which eventually consumed him.
The deceased, it was gathered was survived by two children aged
between seven and 10 years. His wife was said to have died some years
earlier.
One of the residents of the area, Goke Adewale, said the people in
the neighborhood saw smoke coming of the roof of the house and made
efforts to put off the fire but it was too late.
One of the relatives of the deceased, Ademola Oseni, desctibed Ishola’s death as a shock to the people.
He said the deceased’s two children had become orphans at a time
when people were struggling to survive due to the financial crisis in
the country.
He appealed to the Osun State Government to come to the aid of the
children, saying the kids had no where to run for help because their
mother died some years ago..
Oseni said, “Someone probably took a lantern to Ishola because
electricity supply to the house had been disconnected because of his
inability to pay the bills.
“May be he accidentally kicked the lantern and that resulted not
fire which burnt him to death. His remains were buried on Friday.”
The Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command,
Mrs. Folasade Odoro, said case had not been reported to the police.