Sixty-eight-year-old Aminu Abdul, the elder brother of Abdulrahman Abdul, who died along with his wife and daughter in a fire incident in Kafanchan town in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, tells ISRAEL BULUS about the event that brought sadness to the entire family and community
What is your relationship with Abdurahaman Abdul, who lost his life, wife and two children in a fire incident?
Abdulrahman Abdul is my younger brother. We are of the same father and mother.
What do you know about the sad incident that befell your brother family?
I wasn’t there when the incident happened. I was in Abuja.
What did some members of the community who were eyewitnesses to the incident tell you about the fire outbreak that killed your younger brother and his family?
They called me in the night when the incident happened; that was after 11pm on a Tuesday, and it was actually getting to midnight. One of the persons that called me initially didn’t want to tell me that my younger brother, his wife and daughter were affected by the fire that razed the building. From what I was told, people came out when they heard voices shouting ‘fire, fire’. There were attempts to rescue my younger brother and his family, but unfortunately, there was no way one could go close because the flame of the fire was too much. My brother’s neighbour was the one that helped and brought a water tank from where water was used to reduce the fire before we could gain access into the house which has six rooms. As I said, the fire was too much and they couldn’t be rescued.
How did you feel when you got the news of the incident?
It was a terrible situation that made me sad. In fact, I have since been wondering what happened and why my brother, his wife and daughter would die in such a manner.
How will you describe your late brother?
Honestly, my brother was a very nice person while he was alive. He was a man that never fought or quarrelled with anybody. He was ready to give you anything you asked him if he had it. Even the children living within the community can testify to this. He would take them (children) out and buy things for them.
What was his occupation?
He was a driver with the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
When was the last time you saw him alive?
That was about a week before his death. I saw his last only one week before the fire incident that took his life and the lives of his family. It was exactly one week I left for Abuja that the incident happened.
Apart from your brother that died along with his daughter and his wife in the incident, do they have any surviving child?
He had only one daughter and she also died in the fire outbreak. So, none of my brother’s family is alive.
Has the cause of the fire incident been identified?
Nobody knows the cause of the fire outbreak. As I speak, there is no investigation on the matter. The truth is that nobody knows the cause of the fire outbreak.
Did the community make any attempt to call the fire fighters to save the situation?
Some community members called them but they said they would not be able to come because they didn’t have battery to start their fire-fighting vehicle. So, apart from that, there was nothing we could do. The community felt very sad about the response from the firemen. When they told the community that they didn’t have battery to start their vehicle, what else could we have done as a community? Are we going to buy battery for them at that time?
Do you think your brother and his family would have been saved if the firemen had rushed to the place when the community called them?
I cannot say my brother and his family would have been saved if the fire brigade had come, but I know they could have tried their best if they had come. The people of the community would have been happy with them, but nothing happened when they (firemen) were called to come and put out the fire. There is nothing you can do since you are not part of them.
How old was your brother before the incident?
He was about 50 years old.
What is your occupation?
I’m a commercial driver.
Has any government official visited the area after the incident?
Some government officials have visited. I can say the chairman (of the local government area) and the vice chairman. The local government area is Jema’a.
What kind of assistance do you think the Kaduna State Government can render?
You cannot force anybody to help. If government can help, we will be very happy. The state government can rebuild the house. We will appreciate it that way.
Has the community or government put any measure in place to avoid a recurrence of such helpless situation?
No, I don’t think anything like that has been done.
Has the deceased been buried?
The incident happened in the night, and they were buried early in the morning (the following day).
