We watched our kids roast to death like goats- couple who lost Five children to fire disaster in Lagos

Despite the fact that some weeks have passed since the fire disaster that wiped out five children of Mr. & Mrs. Augustine Ikwuagwu on Comfort Oboh Street, Kirikiri Town, Lagos, its bitter memory still lingers. Indeed, the tragedy has been a nightmare to the couple. When Saturday Sun met with the couple recently, pain and agony have overwhelmed them, as they recounted their loss.
Speaking amid tears, Mrs Margaret Ikwuagwu, said her fine kids, Chukwuemeka (13), Ifeanyichukwu (10), Bright (8), Joy (6) and Victoria (4) were sleeping in the house when the incident started at 10pm. She said that all efforts to rescue the children failed. “I asked my children to go and sleep in the room while I was preparing to close shop for the day.

Then, shortly, someone ran to tell me that our house was on fire. I abandoned everything I was doing and ran down to the house. When I got there, the fire had already covered the whole place and I could not enter my room to rescue my children,” she said. Mrs Ikwuagwu explained that she cried for help, but no one came to her aid. “When I got there, I met a mammoth. My co-tenants were busy removing their children and property.

They started the rescue as soon as the fire broke out, but never bothered to inform me that our house was on fire. I tried to rescue our children, but I could not because the fire had covered our room. I heard the voices of my children shouting. But could not save the situation. I cried for help, but no one assisted me. “I forced myself inside the room when I heard my children crying for help, with the hope that I would bring out at least one or two, but I ended up being burnt by fire; so I ran out.” The woman revealed that as she was shouting, her husband arrived at the scene.



Read full story on Linda Ikeji's blog