Tragedy was averted at Ijero Ekiti, Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Tuesday as fire razed down a section of Owa Ajero’s palace in the community.
During the inferno, six children of Owa Ajero, Oba Joseph Adebayo Adewole, were evacuated by sympathisers, having been caught in web of the sudden fire outbreak.
Narrating how the incident happened, Olori Christianah Adewole, told journalists that the fire suddenly surged around 4 pm from a section of the palace called Abokoaye and burnt the entire rooms therein.
Olori Adewole added that the four-bedroom flat was destroyed and it took the intervention of sympathisers to rescue six children who were inside the rooms in the bungalow.
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She said some visitors who came to the palace noticed the thick smoke from that section and raised the alarm before sympathisers came to quench it and prevented the inferno from spreading to the first floor of the one -storey building and the adjoining buildings
“The fire started around 4pm and the thick smoke oozing out showed that it had started long before the people noticed it.
“The rooms and other accessories inside were destroyed and for the help of the people, the children inside were evacuated through the windows,” he said.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who paid a visit to the monarch commiserated with Oba Adewole over the wanton destruction.
The governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Honourable Biodun Omoleye, visited the palace for on the spot assessment of the damaged palace and sympathized with the monarch over the fire incident.
Fayemi assured the monarch of government’s support to rebuild the damaged section and renovate other areas that needed rehabilitation.
He said; “I hope and believe very soon, some help will come from the government to the palace of Ijero kingdom.
“It is our prayer that such an unfortunate incident will never happen again in this palace. We pray that this will be a stepping stone for the transformation of the entire palace.”
Responding, Oba Adewole expressed gratitude to the Governor for the visit and the planned support from the government. The monarch expressed joy that no life was lost during the inferno.
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