By Tola Gbadamosi

The owner and workers of A&A Furniture Centre, located along Oba-Ile Road in the Akure South Local Government area of Ondo State, were thrown into chaos after a fire destroyed property worth millions of naira in the early hours of Wednesday.

The inferno ravaged the popular carpentry shop, leaving several shops, kiosks, and other structures in ruins.

The Hope Metro’s findings revealed that property valued at millions of naira was lost in the blaze.

Mr. Akeem Ganiyu Idowu, a furniture maker and owner of the shop, spoke to The Hope Metro: “When I closed my shop yesterday, I never imagined this could happen. I didn’t set any fire in the shop; I placed the fire at the other side. My neighbours called me around 5 a.m. and told me my shop was on fire.

“When I got there, I saw that everything in my shop had been consumed by the flames. I want to beg the Governor to come to my aid.

“I had 10 workers, four generators, four sets of executive chairs, seven sets of seven-seater chairs, eight wardrobes, four sets of dining chairs, and other materials. Our store also held various materials like clothes, foam, leather, and plywood.”

The Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Emergency Response, Prince Wellington Crown, arrived swiftly with a team from NEMA and FEMA to meet the victims and offer words of encouragement.

Speaking to The Hope Metro, he said:
“We received a call about the fire outbreak here, and by morning, we were on the scene to help extinguish the fire.

“Regarding the damages and causes, the cause is yet unknown, but the reason I am here is to represent the Governor of Ondo State. I assure the affected victims that the government will attend to their needs.

“We must also advise residents to be more cautious during this period to avoid such incidents. The harmattan season is more prone to fire outbreaks, so we must take extra care.”

He further advised citizens to switch off electrical gadgets when not in use and to avoid activities that could lead to fire outbreaks.

An officer of the Federal Fire Service, ASF Femi Ogidan, shared his account:
“We received a call from a neighbour about the fire and responded immediately. Upon arrival, we discovered the fire was intense, and as we worked, we noticed sparks from NEPA wires. We called for assistance to cut the wires, but we managed to prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings.

“Some side discussions suggested that the furniture maker or his workers might not have properly extinguished a fire they had set the previous day. Neighbours reportedly warned them, but it seems the fire wasn’t fully put out, which might have led to the spread into the main building.”

The incident has raised concerns about fire safety during the harmattan season