Residents of the Angle 90 community in Ubiaja, the administrative headquarters of Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State, have called on the state government to strengthen fire service coverage in semi-urban areas following a devastating fire incident on Saturday night. The community expressed deep anger and helplessness after a late-night inferno destroyed properties, leaving residents to battle the flames using crude, manual methods due to the complete absence of a functional emergency fire response system.
Fire Incident Highlights Emergency Gaps
The fire, which threw the neighborhood into chaos, could have been minimized if the community's designated firefighting equipment had been available, local sources revealed. Investigations into the incident have sparked serious concerns regarding the whereabouts of the community's essential emergency infrastructure. According to an eyewitness, the Ubiaja Federal Fire Service truck was discovered parked at the Benin Airport fire station, allegedly loaned to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
"Following the fire incident in Ubiaja last night and the absence of the Ubiaja fire service truck, I conducted a brief investigation to determine the truck's whereabouts. It was discovered that the truck had been loaned to FAAN at Benin Airport," the eyewitness noted. "I find it perplexing that FAAN appears to require a truck that belongs to Ubiaja fire fighters, despite presenting substantial budgets annually for fire trucks and others. The woman heading the Ubiaja fire department seems to be attempting to conceal information regarding this matter. Who authorized the relocation of the fire service truck to FAAN at Benin Airport? This is the fire truck station at the Benin Airport."
Residents Question Relocation of Fire Truck
The relocation raised serious questions among residents, who wonder why a federal agency with substantial annual budgetary allocations for emergency infrastructure would rely on a vital asset stripped from a grassroots community. Furthermore, local insiders allege that leadership within the Ubiaja fire department has actively attempted to conceal information surrounding the vehicle's relocation.
Community members recounted a night of terror as they watched the blaze spread without any professional intervention. "We no longer had access to emergency response because the only fire truck in this area was taken away weeks ago," Engr. Osas Odaro explained. "The fire happened at night, and people were left to battle it on their own with water and sand. If the truck was where it was supposed to be, the damage could have been greatly reduced."
Outrage and Calls for Investigation
Community stakeholders noted that they had repeatedly raised formal alarms over the area's lack of emergency preparedness immediately after noticing the vehicle had been driven out of the town under the guise of a special assignment. Their warnings, however, went unheeded until disaster struck on Saturday night. The incident has triggered widespread outrage across Edo State, sparking renewed calls for the state government, the Federal Fire Service, and relevant disaster management agencies to re-examine emergency preparedness in semi-urban and rural communities.
Angry residents are now demanding an immediate, transparent investigation into who authorized the relocation of the Ubiaja fire truck to the Benin Airport without providing an adequate, functional replacement. They argued that essential emergency equipment must never be withdrawn from communities, leaving tax-paying citizens entirely exposed to fatal disasters.
