People left with only the clothes on their back as they drop everything and flee from fires that blazed through the densely packed settlements of Wanori, Kalari and Nugururi.

Two children have been killed in raging fires that swept through and razed three internally displaced persons’ communities in the Konduga district of Borno State on Sunday, April 6.

More than 1,500 tents and thatch shelters were burnt down.

Many people were left with only the clothes they were wearing as they dropped everything and fled from the fires that blazed through the densely packed settlements of Wanori, Kalari and Nugururi in minutes.

Fire sweeps through Wanori village

Baa Lawan Modu, the head of Wanori village, said: “The fire affected more than 800 people. Most of the residents were not at home – they were on their farmland when the fire broke out.

“The fire swept through the community within 20minutes. Unfortunately, two children died in the blaze. It is amazing that there were not more casualties. I have never seen such an aggressive fire – it spread in minutes and destroyed everything in its path.

“Many of the victims are taking refuge in neighbouring villages.

“Neighbouring communities also brought cooked food to those affected. Unfortunately, there was not enough to feed everyone but most people got something to eat,” Modu said.

“In the present economic climate, it is devastating for anyone to lose his shelter. We are so grateful to our neighbours for helping us in our time of need.

“The chairman the Konduga Local Government Area, the chairman of the Jere Local Government Area and a Konduga council member came to Wanori after the fire and promised to return once the damage was assessed. They said they would bring clothes, food and other necessities for the victims,” Modu said.

After the fire, residents were seen combing through the charred remains, attempting to salvage what little they could from the debris.

A test of faith

Fati Tijjani Wanori, a victim of the fire, said: “This incident was ordained by the Almighty and as a human you have to accept it if you have faith. Whatever befalls a human, he or she is expected to take it in good faith and know that it is a test of faith.”

She claimed the fire in Wanori started when the bridesmaid and friends of a newly married couple decided to cook food for guests.

“The elders advised them not to start a fire but they disregarded their advice and started cooking. That is how the outbreak started,” she said. “The entire town was engulfed – even the mortuary.”

Fires in the Ngururi and Kalari settlements

Resident Bulama Ibrahim Alau Ngururi said the fire that broke out in Wanori had quickly spread to Ngururi.

“The villages are not that far from each other. Hundreds of houses and shelters went up in flames and burnt to ashes. Most of the shelters are constructed of highly flammable materials.”

Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency analyst in the Lake Chad region, reported that soldiers from the 222 Battalion had provided first aid to residents from the Kalari settlement, which is on the Maiduguri-Konduga road.

They evacuated the injured to the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital using army ambulances.

Makama said the fire broke out at about 1pm on Sunday and spread quickly through the congested Kalari settlement.

₦10 million donation

Ali Bukar Dalori, the Deputy National Chairman North of the All Progressives Congress (APC), donated ₦10 million cash and other palliatives to fire victims from Wanori and Ngururi.

Dalori, who comes from the Konduga Local Government Area, said he hoped the donation would “bring succour to the victims and their families, who have been affected by the tragic incident”.

“We are here to sympathise with you over the unfortunate fire incident. May the souls of the departed rest in Jannatul Firdaus and may Allah grant the injured a quick recovery.”

The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said the Borno State government was appealing for humanitarian support to assist fire victims.

Fire at the Borno Express Mechanical Workshop

A fire broke out at the Borno Mechanical Workshop, operated by the Borno Express Transport Corporation, on Monday, April 7.

Witnesses said the blaze, which started at about 12pm, spread quickly, destroying more than 10 18-seater buses.

They said no lives were lost but a firefighter sustained injuries while battling the flames.

Shortly before the outbreak, there was a loud explosion believed to have been caused by a gas leak within the premises.

Mohammed, a youth living in the Kirikasamma area of the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), said: “An apprentice at the workshop told me the fire started when the silencer of one the buses that was being repaired caught fire.

“Workers thought they had put out the fire, not realising that it was still burning inside the vehicle. The next thing the whole bus was on fire.

“They tried pushing the bus out of the workshop but they were not able to. The fire spread quickly. There is engine oil and petrol all over the workshop which just made it spread faster.”

Staff at the workshop said the affected vehicles were mostly buses undergoing routine servicing, with a few in for major repairs.

The mechanical workshop is central to the upkeep of the state’s mass transit fleet.

Aliyu Buba Bamanga, the Borno State Commissioner for Transport and Energy, visited the scene but declined to comment.

“We are expecting His Excellency, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, shortly. I wouldn’t want to preempt any official statement from him,” he said.

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI