Tragedy in Ogun as windstorm wipes out family of four, others injured

Residents of Denro in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State woke up, on Monday morning, to wailing and mourning as a midnight windstorm, accompanied by heavy rains, wiped out a family of four in the area.

According to eyewitnesses, during the heavy rains that was preceeded by a windstorm, a concrete fence beside the house of the family gave way and fell on the apartment the family occupied.

The head of the family, popularly called Onimalu, a butcher at the local abattoir in the area, was said to have made efforts to save his son and pregnant wife but none of his efforts made any difference as they all died.

According to the eyewitnesses, several others, who were injured in the building have been rushed to different hospitals in the Denro area, as fear mounts over their fate.

A resident of the area, who gave his name simply as Toafeek, lamented the tragedy, and said the late Onimalu was an easy going person, who related well with both the young and the old.

Read also: Over 110 people killed as deadly storm destroys southern Philippines

Taofeek, however, blamed the tragedy on the landlord who built an extraordinary high concrete fence.

“What happened wouldn’t have happened if the landlord beside Onimalu’s house did not build such high fence. When residents of the area warned him about the fence, he said he was protecting himself against armed robbers. By protecting himself, he has wiped out a whole family and injured several others, who we are not sure will survive”, Taofeek said.

When Ripples Nigeria visited the scene, policemen from Akute Division were seen on guard, as butcher colleagues of the deceased Onimalu, are threatening to destroy the building and deal with the landlord.

Our reporter overheard some of the butchers calling their colleagues from other areas to come over, threatening to burn the house down.

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