Wife of the resident Pastor of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Otumara Brach, Warri, Delta State, Pastor John Kayode, and four children have been burnt to death in a midnight fire that gutted parts of the church at Emiko Close, Angle Part.
It was gathered that John Kayode was away attending a CAC Pastors’ Conference in Osun State, when the fire consumed his wife, Kayoda and children: two boys and two girl; aged between eight and 18.
Bright December, who was among neighbours to notice the fire said: “At 11pm. on Wednesday night, electricity supply started fluctuating dangerously. Some vigilantes came out to see what the problem was thrice, though nothing was noticed.
‘They cried for help’
“Midnight was when I looked out and saw a girl banging on the glass windows of one of the rooms on fire. Later, the mother started shouting for help. But the burglary proofs everywhere made it hard for us to gain entry into the house.
“A lady then alerted other neighbours, but it was too late. The Pastor’s wife and the daughter with her at the outer room screamed for 15 minutes and that was it. By the time it was possible to gain entry, the boys and a girl were already burnt in one room, while the second girl and mother died in the other room.”
Mrs. Margeret Ichibo, a church member, said: “I left the Church after prayers with her (Kayoda) on Wednesday. That was in the day. I rushed back few minutes to 1a.m., and fire fighters were just labouring to break in, but it was too late.
“National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, personnel tried to evacuate the bodies, but we advised that police be informed first.
“By the time police came, NEMA had switched off their phones. It took the courage of youths in the neighbourhood and some of the fire service to bring out the bodies between 5 and 6a.m.
“The bodies have been deposited at the Warri Central Hospital Mortuary.”
The Church Secretary, Mr. Sunday Ogoigbe, said: “We can always rebuild the church. The real pain is in losing out Pastor’s wife and his entire children.
“Indicators as to the cause of this tragedy point to electrical fault. But then the only people who could have explained the true cause are dead.”

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The Ekiti State Governor, Mr Kayode Fayemi, has declared a 7:00pm to 7:00am curfew in the state to stem the drift of the state to anarchy, with people tagged ‘political thugs’ taking to the streets burning houses and looting.
Violence erupted on the streets of Ekiti today following the murder, yesterday, of the Chairman of Ekiti State Taxi Drivers Association, Mr Komolafe Adeoye.
The chairman of Ekiti State Taxi Drivers Association was reportedly murdered in his home when some armed went to his house and shot him dead. It was gathered that the rampaging hoodlums also burnt down many houses, destroyed properties and looted, even as they forced residents to remain indoors.
Announcing the curfew in a State-wide broadcast today, Governor Fayemi said with this development, he has suspended his Thank You tour of the State, even as he advised the citizenry to be vigilant and provide security agencies with details of suspicious activities that can undermine the peace of the State.

While calling on all stakeholders in the State to cooperate with government “to stop the violence and brigandage that had brought about serious embarrassment” to the State, Dr. Fayemi charged all and sundry to temper their “competitive zeal with civility and empathy”.

“In order to forestall further descent into anarchy in our state, I am taking the very difficult decision to suspend the Thank You tour which I am undertaking as part of our transitioning -out formalities. Also, I have taken the decision to institute a dusk to dawn curfew in the State immediately. Accordingly, there would be no movement between the hours of 7.00pm and 7.00am everyday till further notice”, he said.
Speaking on the series of incidences that had sparked up crisis in the State, the Governor recalled the desecration of the Court and the beating of Judges by thugs “acting on the incitement of an interested party in the presence of law enforcement agents with inappropriate response”.

Dr. Fayemi said he reliably gathered that the thugs again attempted to prevent the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal from sitting on Thursday when they acted on the order of the Governor-elect, Mr Ayo Fayose who was present at the scene.

“The fact that this assault did not meet with any strong deterring repercussions from the appropriate authorities further emboldened the miscreants. They subsequently attempted to prevent the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal from sitting yesterday Thursday September 25. I am advised incontrovertibly that thugs acting on the command of Mr Ayo Fayose who was also present to lend his clout to the travesty, brazenly assaulted a senior judge and urged his thugs to beat him up and later tear his clothes. The court premises was thrown into confusion and those present scurried away in search of safety and security. This was on the back of his specious allegation that the judiciary in the State is compromised and biased against him. And the answer to that was to resort to jungle justice and take laws into his hands.”

Fayemi who expressed worry that the obstruction of justice is a clear invitation to anarchy that characterized the State some years ago, urged all political actors in the State to exercise caution in the interest of the State.

“Considering the cases that have triggered the recent spate of violence are politically related, the political elite in our state from all disparate quarters must exercise caution. We must rescue our state from the precarious slippery slope that some have desperately pushed us to. We should not imperil the very people we seek to serve by resorting to violence and brigandage. One does not burn down his homestead to establish his claim of ownership or leadership.”

On the closure of the State Courts by the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Ayo Daramola, the Governor said he has directed the State Attorney General to issue a legal advisory to the Chief Judge and all parties to the existing cases in the State High Court as well as the State Governorship a election Petition Tribunal on the desirability of seeking an alternative venue for the hearing of the cases outside Ekiti State.

According to the Governor, the State can no longer afford to witness the blizzard spectacle of the beating up of judicial officers and wanton intimidation of lawyers and court personnel.

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With barely six months to the end of the administration, the Plateau State Government has sent a supplementary budget of N23.4 billion to the State House of Assembly for consideration and approval. In the proposed budget, supply and fixing of curtains, blinds, customised cutleries and other items at the new government House will be awarded to a foreign firm at the cost of N442,289,600.
According to the estimates obtained from the State House of Assembly today, Road networks, purchase of official vehicles, and other projects at the new Government House at Little Rayfield, will gulp N4.2bn.
Other items to be covered by the supplementary budget, are procurement of a Toyota Land Cruiser model vehicle for the Chief Judge of Plateau State at the cost of N25,625,675.68 and also the purchase of a Toyota Corolla for the Chief Registrar, Plateau State judiciary at the cost of N7,545,398,68.
Also the completion of existing road projects all over the state, Office of SSG at the new government house and provision of infrastructure and office equipment at the new office of the Board of Internal Revenue is expected to gulp N13bn, while N1.5bn was budgeted to the State Water board
The rest of the estimates computed and collated from all ministries, agencies and departments of government were put at N12,400,979,524.
Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Olivia Dazem, said the budget is meant to complete the existing projects before the exit of the current administration, adding: “In view of the need to meet additional developmental efforts of the present administration in project execution, a supplementary budget in respect of some ministries, agencies and departments have become very necessary.”
She said all the estimates were carefully and realistically computed and duly considered by the state executive council and that priority areas were given adequate attention in the proposed supplementary budget.

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