Two young brothers, Jelad Oluwaranakinse, aged five, and Jenson, aged three, tragically lost their lives in a fire that engulfed their home in the Oluwatuyi area of Akure, Ondo State, on Wednesday.
The children were reportedly locked inside the apartment by their mother, Mrs. Deborah Oluwaranakinse, who had stepped out to purchase food.
While she was away, the fire broke out, consuming the building and leaving the two boys unable to escape.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as harrowing, with desperate efforts made to rescue the children and extinguish the flames proving futile.
“When the fire started, the neighbours around made efforts to put it out and rescue the kids, but their efforts were unsuccessful,” an eyewitness recounted.
“People called the state fire service, but by the time they arrived, things had gone out of hand. The kids had died,” another witness explained, adding that the cause of the fire remained unclear at the time.
Despite the neighbours’ valiant attempts, the blaze ravaged the apartment. The charred remains of the children were eventually recovered and taken to the morgue at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital in Akure.
On Thursday, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the devastating incident, noting that an investigation had been launched to uncover the cause of the fire.
“The two male children left in the room were choked and burnt. One is Jelad Oluwaranakinse, aged five, and the second is Jenson Oluwaranakinse, aged three.
“Their mother, one Mrs Deborah Oluwaranakinse, locked the two children inside their room and went out to search for food. An investigation has commenced,” she stated.
