Environment

Fire Outbreak Destroys 2,000 Houses, Renders 4,500 Homesless In A’Ibom

Published

6 years ago

January 6, 2020

Not less than 2000 houses were destroyed and 4,500 persons rendered homeless by a fire incident in Iwoukpom, a fishing settlement in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Our correspondent, who visited the scene, reports that properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed during the fire incident.
Some of the victims who spoke with our correspondent in Ibeno said the incident which occurred in the early hours of Friday had caused very big losses to the fishing community.
The victims therefore appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, provide relief materials and camp to the affected people to ameliorate their sufferings in the area.
One of the victims, Mrs Victoria Udoh, described the situation as unfortunate, saying that she was at a vigil when she received the sad news about the fire incident.
“I could not even pick a pin before the inferno rendered me homeless. All the fishing tools, my clothes, my money, everything got burnt! The entire building was raised completely and I could not pick a pin in the house,” the mother of three cried out.
She called on the State Government, well-meaning individuals, Multinational companies and NGOs to come to their rescue, lamenting that she no longer has roof over her head.
Udoh also called on National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to provide relief materials to the affected victims to ameliorate their sufferings.
Also speaking, Vice Chairman, Ibeno local government area, Hon. Sunday Isokobo, described the inferno as a “serious disaster”, saying that the inferno was so serious that nobody could penetrate when the fire was burning in the area.
“About 1 am this morning, I received a call from my brothers and sisters living in this fishing settlement at Iwoukpom, that there is a very serious fire disaster taking place here, before respite could get to them, the inferno had completely raised down a lot of buildings and wooden houses and uncountable fishing equipments worth millions of naira were destroyed in the area,” he said.
Isokobo however said that nobody could give the cause of the inferno at the time the reporter was filing his report and added that no life was lost during the inferno.
He promised to give relief materials to the affected families to ameliorate the sufferings of the victims and called on the state government, oil companies to come to the aid of the affected fire incident.
The Vice Chairman also appealed to State Government, Donor Agencies, International Communities among others as a matter of urgency to provide relief materials and camp to affected inferno victims.
“We will give them relief materials to start with and think of permanent ways of giving them back hope, especially the fisher men who had lost their livelihood to inferno.
“It is a pity that the inferno also affected my father’s house, I am begging government, donor agencies, international communities, oil companies to come to their aid,” Isokobo appealed.
The youth leader of Ibeno LGA, Mr Kingsley Asuquo expressed dissatisfaction to the inferno adding, that the fire incident destroyed completely everything in the environment including fishing equipment in the area.
“It is pathetic and the people have lost everything in their life, so there is no word that is qualified to explain the circumstances,” he cried out.
He said that over thousands of people had been rendered homeless and called on state government to provide internal displaced camp for the affected victims.
The leader of the Yoruba community, Mr Foli Ogungbemi, Special Adviser to the Chairman of Ibeno on non- indigenes said the entire place were settled mostly by the Yorubas.
“When the incident occurred, the people were running for their safety and none could really know the root cause of the inferno. Iwuokpum is highly populated with Yoruba indigenes and is the place that run the highest economic in Ibeno. “
Checks by journalists who toured round the area revealed that there was no fire service unit in the area and the one located in the Council was not functional.

Environment

AEPB Decried Low Performance Of Waste Evacuator In Abuja

Published

4 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has decried the low performance of the waste evacuation and cleaning contractors, engaged by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to keep Abuja clean.

The Director, Mrs Kate Ogbonna gave the assessment during an interactive session with the contractors in Abuja on Friday.

Ogbonna said she was overwhelmed with unsavoury reports from the supervisors who monitor the daily performance of the cleaning and waste contractors.

“The reports at my disposal from our supervisors, who monitor the performance of the contractors are not too good.”

She called on the contractors to brace up and ensure proper and efficient waste evacuation across the Federal Capital City.

She said that the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, has been keeping his promise of paying the contractors on time, stressing that they, therefore, have no excuse not to deliver on the terms of agreement.

She acknowledged that there could be challenges, which were normal with every job, and advised the contractors to procure more equipment and engage more hands where necessary, to make their job easy and seamless.

The director reminded the contractors that they signed the contracts on grounds that they were capable, and assured them that the Board would assist where necessary.

Ogbonna explained that the meeting was to educate and guide the contractors on the full weight of their duties as waste managers and evacuators.

“We want them to know that there are standards and what we expect from them. We have set rules and agreements guiding their schedules.

“All we want is for the Federal Capital City to be clean,” she said.

She appealed to residents and institutions doing businesses in the capital city to pay their waste and cleaning bills and procure the right size of waste bins commensurate with their residences and business offices.

She noted that waste removal and management was capital intensive, adding that residents need to do their part while the Board do its part.

“You cannot be owing and expect clinical waste removed.

“You cannot also have a bin meant for one household for a block of 10 flats and expect it to hold the waste you generate until the contractor’s trucks come around. It will definitely overflow and mess up the environment.

“To ensure Abuja capital city remains clean, devoid of pollution and epidemic free, all must do their part,” she said.

In his remarks, Mr Benjamin Enwerem, Director, Solid Waste Management, AEPB, said that some of the contractors have complained that most of the waste on the streets was being generated by night traders and funfare operators.

“These traders and funfare operators generate waste and litter the whole area, thereby, forming illegal waste dumps around residential and business areas.

“We have taken notice of this complaint and we will send our task force after them,” Enwerem said.

On the performances of the contractors, Enwerem said that although there were still lapses, the contractors were doing better by the day, noting that additional capable hands have been injected into the cleaning force.

On his part, Chairman, Association of Solid Waste Contractors, Mallam Ibrahim Babayo, acknowledged the unsatisfactory performance of the contractors and promised that they would improve.

Babayo also promised that the contractors would procure modern equipment and employ more hands to improve on routine evacuation of waste.

Environment

Buildings Destroyed, 40 Injured In Lagos and C’Rivers

Published

4 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

No fewer than 40 people sustained injuries, while one person was confirmed dead, in separate tanker-related explosions in Lagos and Cross River states.

In Lagos, the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday along the Lekki–Epe Expressway, around Ologuro Bus Stop, opposite a filling station in the Sangotedo area.

According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, a tipper truck rammed into a gas tanker from behind, sparking a massive fire outbreak.

The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement, said one person died in the incident, while two others sustained injuries.

“Upon arrival at the scene, it was discovered that a tipper truck rammed into a gas tanker, resulting in a fire outbreak. The driver of the tipper truck died as a result of the impact, while two adult females sustained minor injuries,” he said.

Oke-Osanyintolu attributed the crash to overspeeding and reckless driving, adding that the fire engulfed several roadside shops, causing extensive damage.

Tide source gathered that emergency responders, including the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and ambulance officials, were able to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings.

Similarly, the Federal Road Safety Corps, in a statement by the Sector Public Education Officer, Elizabeth Jayeola, confirmed the incident, saying the crash involved a Sinotruck tipper and a Mack trailer.

“A total of four male adults were involved. One person died, one was injured, while two were unhurt. The crash was caused by speed violation, which led to loss of control and collision,” she said.

Jayeola added that the impact triggered a fire that left the tipper driver burnt beyond recognition, while his assistant sustained injuries.

According to her, three warehouses and about 10 roadside shops, including a gym and a generator house, were affected before firefighters brought the situation under control.

Several vehicles, including buses and cars parked within the affected area, were also damaged.

In a separate incident in Calabar, Cross River State, no fewer than 38 persons sustained varying degrees of burns following a gas explosion at a filling station.

The explosion reportedly occurred during the transfer of gas from a storage tank to a service tank when a hose detached, causing gas to leak into the surrounding area.

An eyewitness in a video, Ekanem Essien, described the moment as chaotic, likening the explosion to a bomb blast.

“The only thing we heard was a loud explosion. Everywhere was in confusion. I had to rush my baby out and grab my documents. We could not even reach the fire service in time,” he said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Sunday Eitokpah, in a statement, said the leakage quickly escalated into a fire, leaving residents with little time to escape.

“Several residents sustained injuries, primarily burns, and those with serious cases have been taken to the Teaching Hospital for treatment,” he said.

Despite the scale of destruction in Calabar, the PPRO confirmed that no death was recorded, while victims were receiving treatment at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.

Environment

Why Buildings Keep Collapsing In Nigeria…. NIOB

Published

2 weeks ago

March 16, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has attributed the recurring building collapse cases across the country to weak construction laws and failure to hold offenders accountable.

President of the institute, Daniel Kolade, made this known in Abuja at the 2026 Builders Day celebration, themed, “Advocacy and Policy Influence: Towards Sustainable Reforms for a Resilient Built Environment”

He expressed worry that, in spite of concerns over building safety, a key regulatory framework meant to strengthen enforcement within the built environment has remained pending before the National Assembly since 2006.

According to him, the delay has created a situation where those responsible for structural failures often escape punishment.

“Because the enforcement arm of the law is still lying with the National Assembly and has not been passed into law since 2006, the room remains for people to go scot-free when these incidents happen,” Kolade said.

According to Kolade, the lack of consequences encourages negligence on construction sites, as many operators believe little or nothing will happen, even if they violate building regulations.

Kolade cited previous building collapse incidents where, years after the tragedies, no individual had been prosecuted or sanctioned.

“As long as people continue to go free when these things happen, you should expect that it may not stop,” he said.

The NIOB president also said that the growing number of unqualified individuals working on construction sites worsened the problem.

He said it has become common for people without the required training or professional certification to assume technical roles in building projects.

“On most construction sites today, everybody claims to be an engineer, even labourers.

“Without the requisite knowledge and understanding, people just assume roles they are not qualified for,” he said.

Kolade noted that professional builders are regulated by the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), which has the authority to register practitioners and discipline erring members.

He explained that builders found guilty of professional misconduct should face sanctions, including the withdrawal of their practicing licences.

However, he said the absence of a strong enforcement mechanism outside professional bodies makes it difficult to prosecute developers or project promoters who violate construction standards.

“In Nigeria, only one major case in Lagos saw the building promoter go down with the incident.

“In many other cases across the country, those responsible have walked free,” he said.

Kolade stressed that the built environment consists of several specialised professionals, each with defined responsibilities, including builders, architects and engineers.

He said the NIOB remained committed to promoting professionalism, ethical standards and quality assurance within the building industry.

March 13 is observed annually as Builders’ Day to create public awareness about the roles of professional builders and the importance of engaging qualified professionals in construction projects.