A teenage gang of three on Wednesday set a three-bedroom bungalow ablaze after stealing foodstuffs, groceries, and clothes within the Gaa Akanbi space of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The incident, which occurred at No. 59 Afenifere Group, Onireke, Gaa Akanbi, within the Ilorin South Native Authorities Space, occurred round 12 midday.
One of many youngsters, recognized as 18-year-old Olawumi Olamide, revealed throughout interrogation that one other member of the gang, referred to as Isiaka, was concerned within the arson.
Eyewitnesses informed PUNCH On-line that the gang determined to set the home on hearth after their tried theft was foiled by residents of the neighborhood.
Objects reminiscent of a mattress, priceless paperwork, a plasma tv, and clothes have been utterly destroyed within the hearth.
The Kwara State Hearth Service, which responded to the incident, confirmed the fireplace was an act of arson.
In keeping with a press release by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Kwara State Hearth Service, Hassan Adekunle, hearth officers managed to deliver the blaze underneath management inside 25 minutes.
“Upon arriving on the scene, hearth officers discovered a three-bedroom bungalow engulfed in flames. Regardless of their efforts, two rooms have been utterly destroyed by the fireplace,” the assertion learn.
Adekunle additional defined that the fireplace was began after the gang had stolen foodstuffs and different gadgets.
When the thieves have been caught within the act by residents, one in every of them, Isiaka, set the home on hearth in a bid to create a distraction and escape.
In the course of the chaos, 18-year-old Olawumi Olamide was apprehended by neighborhood members.
Earlier than his seize, Olamide stabbed a person twice however was finally handed over to the chairman of the neighborhood, Mr. Azeez Jamiu, who later turned him over to the Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps, Tanke Division.
In a video recording of the interrogation, Olamide, who was stripped bare by the neighborhood members, confessed that Isiaka set a mattress on hearth to distract individuals earlier than fleeing into the bush.
The Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC in Kwara State, ASC Ayoola Michael, confirmed that the suspect was in custody however didn’t present additional particulars as of the time of submitting this report.
In the meantime, the Director of the Kwara State Hearth Service, Falade Olumuyiwa, urged the general public to stay vigilant and prioritise security to stop comparable incidents sooner or later.
