A nine-year-old boy has reportedly set his parents’ three-bedroom flat, located at No. 52 Mandate Housing Estate, Ilorin, Kwara State, on fire on Thursday.
The fire, which was said to have been accidentally caused, started when the child was playing with matches. The matches ignited a mattress, quickly escalating into a blaze that consumed the apartment.
The incident was confirmed by Hakeem Adekunle, the Head of Media and Publicity for the Kwara State Fire Service. He explained that the boy was playing with matches when the fire broke out.
Adekunle also recalled a similar incident from last year in the Ilorin metropolis, where a young boy completely destroyed his parents’ house in a fire.
“In that incident, the child, panicked after hearing his father’s car approaching, lit a firecracker and tossed it under the bed to hide it. Moments later, the father returned home, unaware of the smouldering danger. Excited to celebrate, he decided to take the family out shopping, locking the house before leaving. Tragically, by the time they returned, the house had been completely consumed by fire,” he recounted.
Adekunle stressed the importance of vigilance and safety, particularly during the festive season. He urged parents to educate their children about the dangers of firecrackers, commonly known as bangers, and to ensure they are used responsibly, if at all.
“As the festive season approaches, we must prioritise safety,” he said. “Many children will spend their holidays at home with limited supervision while parents are at work. We strongly advise the public to remain cautious and vigilant to prevent such tragedies.”
He further appealed to parents and guardians to keep matches, lighters, and other flammable materials out of children’s reach and to educate them about the risks of playing with fire.