A bouncer in a Lagos club, Sunday Braimoh, and his wife, Morenikeji, have been burnt to death in a fire incident on Idewu Street, Olodi Apapa, Lagos State.
The couple were in their room when the fire started on the passageway of the eight-room bungalow. A tenant was reportedly cooking when petrol spilled on the floor, which started the fire. Our correspondent learnt that the couple became trapped in their room when the iron door to the room jammed.
The windows of their room were also said to have burglar-proof bars.
It was said that efforts by the husband to break the louvers of the window and bend the bars were abortive.
The remains of the couple were reportedly recovered by officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, who responded to the emergency.
Policemen from the Tolu division were said to have later joined the firefighters at the scene.
When our correspondent visited the house on Monday, he observed smokes billowing from what remained of the property rented by the couple, who reportedly died without any child.
Some of their neighbours were seen salvaging what remained of their own property.
A co-tenant, who did not want to be identified, said the fire started around 5pm.
He said, “I tried to get some of my property out, like other tenants. We were doing this when there was an explosion and we all ran out. Later, I heard that the man and his wife died in the fire.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that 45-year-old Sunday, due to the nature of his job, was usually away from home at night.
He was reported to be relaxing with his wife that evening when tragedy struck.
Another co-tenant said the man and his wife were awake when the fire started, adding that they chose to lock themselves in.
She also claimed that Sunday had told some close relatives that he had a nightmare a few days to the incident.
“He said he dreamt that he died. He went to church to pray and ward off the evil.
“This thing happened in the daytime, so it was not that they were asleep. When the fire started, they locked their door, as they said the fire would not get to their room because of the iron door.
“The fire got to their room through their air conditioner, which exploded. That was how they became trapped and died,” she said.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Sunday took over the room from his father, who was initially paying the rent before his demise.
He was said to have secured the bouncer work at the nightclub a few weeks before his death.
“He got the job about one month ago. And since he started the work, people had been hailing him as ‘Big Sunday.’
“He and his wife had been married for some years without a child together. The woman, however, had two children in her previous marriage,” another resident said.
The acting Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Musibau, said firefighters from the Sari Iganmu and Ilupeju divisions responded to the incident.
He said, “We received a distress call around 4.38pm on Sunday and we got there around 4.45pm.
“We are still investigating the real cause of the fire. But when our men got there, they were told that the couple locked themselves in. The burglar-proof door and windows were shut and they could not find their way out.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident.
“The house was completely burnt along with personal belongings of the tenants,” he added.