Bolani Michael, the mother of four boys, who died in a fire incident in their house in Ikorodu, Lagos, on June 26, in this interview with OLAMIDE FAMUWAGUN recounts the sad incident
Can you tell us what really happened that day?
It was an unforgettable Sunday for me and my husband wasn’t around. I went to church and the children were at home doing the chores I had assigned to each of them. When I came back in the evening, I told one of my sons to switch on the generator because there wasn’t any light and we needed to use the washing machine. I was tired that day, so I went to sleep early.
When my husband came home at night, I served his meal, and the public light was restored afterwards, so my husband switched off the generator. I had gone back to sleep, so he came to join me and my daughter, Esther, in the room. The boys were in their own rooms.
Later, at midnight, around 1 am, my husband woke up to the screams of Prayer, our first born. He was shouting, “Daddy fire! Daddy fire!” My husband and I quickly woke up, and when my husband opened our door, there was fire everywhere.
We started calling for help because my four boys were still trapped inside. The neighbours came, got my daughter and me out and began breaking the windows of the boys’ room to get them out. They were able to get Prayer, Ebube, and Trust in God out, but they couldn’t find Jeremiah. When they brought three of them out, they were severely burned.
In the process of saving the boys, I was also burned. My husband was too.
Immediately, we were all outside. I could not believe what had happened. We didn’t know how the fire started. The three boys were immediately rushed to the Ikorodu General Hospital in a neighbour’s car. It was after an hour that my husband, Esther, and I later went to the hospital in the same car. It is unfortunate and heartbreaking that I have still lost all of my sons. Jeremiah, whom we did not see to rescue, was later found by neighbours who had put out the fire, burnt beyond recognition.
How have you been feeling since the fire incident that claimed the lives of your four boys?
I wanted to give up, but people were encouraging me to stay strong so that I could take care of the rest who had severe injuries. I struggled that day with my own injury and even though the doctors were telling me that my husband and I needed to be admitted as well, I said no, that I should be with my boys.
However, the children started dying one by one. It is just God that has been holding me. It’s not in my power. If it was by my power, I would have died along with my boys, but God rescued me. I also thank God for my pastor and his wife, who keep encouraging me with the word of God. They pray with me and don’t leave me alone.
I believe God is using them for me and my family. Our joy now is our little girl, who survived along with us. God has helped us to keep that one, and we must be strong for her. My husband has cried a lot, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing we can do. We have left everything to God.
What has been your experience since the whole thing happened? What has changed for your family?
A lot has changed for my family. I would have never imagined this would have ever happened to us. All my brothers and my people that have been calling me keep saying that they have never heard this kind of thing happen at our place in Edo State. This kind of thing has never happened to us.
Prior to my mother’s death, she had never shared anything like this with me. It surprised me how such a thing could befall me and my family. We don’t know where to begin because we don’t have a place to stay and are currently living with our pastor. Thank God for a few others who have given us clothes and some items to manage at the moment. We can’t always live with our pastor; we just pray God brings us back on our feet again.
Your house, property, and even business have been heavily damaged by the fire. How do you intend to move on from here?
The plan is to get a new house first. We’re praying for a new place so we can start afresh. I wouldn’t want us to be at Ikorodu again where we formerly stayed; it would be a huge reminder of the pain and loss. A change of environment will help us to move on, though it won’t be easy to forget the painful memories.
What forms of assistance have you received since the unfortunate incident?
We haven’t got so much assistance, although our pastor and his wife have been a huge help. Some others have promised to try their best to support us, but we’re still hoping.
Have your sons been buried?
Yes, they have. Jeremiah, who was burnt in the fire, was buried on the same day of the incident. Trust in God, who died a day after, was buried the next day. Prayer and Ebube were buried on Friday, June 30.
What do you think could have been done differently that would have salvaged the situation?
What has happened has happened. We weren’t careless with any of our appliances, like the gas cooker, or anything that could have started the fire. It’s still strange how the fire started. One of our regrets was that we had a plan for our business and it was to make it into a company, but at that time, we used our compound to wash and dry the waste products. We had employees who we paid to help wash and gather these waste products that would be delivered to a company.
How do you rate the response of the police and the fire service to the incident?
After the incident, a police officer came to our house. He saw our injuries and told us to come and write a statement when we got better. My elder brother, who is also a police officer, saw the situation and went to the Owutu police station where the incident was reported. After that, he went to Ikorodu, where the incident had happened. He told us that he was very grateful to God that we were alive because the fire damage was too much. I just told him that it was truly God and Prayer, our first son, who God used to keep the rest of us alive. If Prayer had not raised the alarm when he did, we would have also been burnt because we would still be sleeping. The fire service came only after the fire had been put out for a long time by neighbours. The vehicle that was even used to rush the children to the hospital was our neighbour’s car. It was an hour later that we, my husband and I, were taken to the hospital, and even on our way; we did not even see any presence of the fire service. Our neighbours told us they came around 4 am, after we were all in the hospital. They did not rescue anyone, it was our neighbours and fellow residents that brought out the burnt body of Jeremiah, and they (the fire service) probably dealt with the aftermath.
How has your daughter, Esther, been coping with the loss of her brothers?
She constantly asks me about her brothers, but I’ve been trying to hide it from her. I’ve been telling her that they (her brothers) were still in the hospital and the doctors had advised no one to come to them for now till they get better. It hasn’t been easy hiding it, but she can’t find out now.
Can you share with us your last moments with the boys?
That Sunday, before I went to church, I shared house chores for each of them (the deceased) to do. When I came home later, I discovered that Jeremiah, whom I had told to wash clothes, had not finished washing them. I asked him what had happened and he told me that there wasn’t light, so he couldn’t finish it. I later told his brother to put on the generator so he could continue. He came to our own side of the room, which was where the washing machine was. He washed it till the detergent finished. I keep thinking that maybe if I had bought enough detergent, the washing would have taken longer, he would have slept in our room that night, maybe he would still be alive like the rest of us.
What memories of your boys linger most?
Prayer, my first son, can do anything. He does everything his father does; he pumps the water, puts on the generator, and takes good care of his siblings. He makes me feel relieved when his dad is not around. He helps me cook when I feel too tired. He was there for me and his father.
With him, I am always relaxed. Jeremiah assists me a lot; he does whatever I tell him to do perfectly without complaints. Trust in God always liked to hug me. Whenever I was angry, he would always hug me and tell me not to be angry. Ebube is the one who has the most facial resemblance to me. He always tells me he loves me. Even before he died, he kept telling me he loved me and that he didn’t want to go. Witnessing the deaths of my sons made me feel like I should go along with them, but I just had to be strong for my daughter.
