A Nigerian couple, Mr and Mrs Anyaobi Michael Chukwudi has told the heartbreaking story of how they lost their four sons in a horrific and mystery fire that razed their home.
Indeed, for Mr and Mrs Anyaobi Michael Chukwudi, who lost four sons in a fire incident last month, life may never be the same again. Nearly a month after, as they try to pick their pieces, the disillusioned couple tell their story to Gboyega Alaka.
HOW do you begin to placate a husband and wife who lost their four sons to a brutal midnight fire incident within a few days, leaving them with only one daughter, their youngest? How do they even begin to pick their pieces? Will they ever heal? Can their life ever be normal again? And to think that all their belongings, including photos that they could keep as memories, also perished, putting them in a destitute and pathetic situation. However, that is the lot of Mr Anyaobi Michael Chukwudi, 46 from Ibuzor, Delta State and wife, Faith Anyaobi Chukwudi.
According to Anyaobi, who hails from Ibuzor, Delta State, the unfortunate incident occurred on the 25th of June, 2022 at number 118, Tapa Road, Oke-Oko, Ishawo, Ikorodu, Lagos State around 1pm to 1.30pm.
“I was sleeping with my wife in my apartment at number 118, Tapa Road, Oke-oko, Ishawo, Ikorodu, Lagos, when I heard a shout of ‘Help Fire!’ from my children’s apartment. It was the voice of my first son, Prayer. The four boys slept in one room and parlour self-contain apartment, while my wife and I and our youngest, a girl, Esther, slept in another room and parlour self-contain which we rented anew in the same compound and moved into just two days earlier.
“The former occupant moved out and we decided to rent it, since our own apartment was already too tight for us. When we slept that night, there was no light, so I switched on the generator; but when the PHCN brought back power, I got up, switched it off, changed the source of power and went back to sleep. It was not long after that I heard Prayer’s cry of ‘fire, fire, fire.’
“Quickly, I took the key to open our apartment, ran to the window to check and saw fire everywhere. I summoned courage and opened the door, but the fire was so much and I got severely burnt, so I ran out and called for help from neighbours. Immediately the neighbours started coming out to help. I went back in and rescued Prayer; I rescued TrustinGod, then I rescued Ebubechukwu. But the second born, Jeremiah, was burnt badly. He died right there. We took the surviving ones to the General Hospital, Ikorodu. Even my wife was burnt at the buttocks side. It’s only my daughter that escaped with the slightest burn.
“Luckily, they were attended to immediately at the hospital. Some neighbour had volunteered his car to take the kids there; so when we got there, we saw that they were already on drip and being treated. They did what they could; but they said the burns were too severe and referred us to Gbagada General Hospital that same night.
“We got there by 5.30am and they immediately attended to us, but unfortunately, we lost the second boy, TrustinGod. Then it remained Prayer and Ebubechuckwu. Immediately, they referred us to LASUTH, where we spent about three days, praying and hoping that the two boys survived. They said they had a machine that could aid their treatment there.
Unfortunately, Prayer and Ebubechukwu gave up in quick succession.”
“And to think that I initially thought of locking the door from outside! But I told myself that the boys are big enough. Besides, I thought there might be need for emergency. So I let them lock it from behind every night.
” I think it was because Jeremiah tried to open the door that she got severely burned.”
Chukwudi however have some good words for the hospitals, starting with the General Hospital Ikorodu.
“I’d say they attended to us well; they tried their best. They didn’t ask for money before commencing treatment. But when we arrived there, they asked for money. When they discovered that it was too severe, they referred us to Gbagada. Even in Gbagada, they started attending to them before asking us for money. Likewise LASUTH, where they said they had a certain machine that was needed to treat the boys. However, there was a bit of delay in attending to us there, until my wife started screaming at them that we were referred and our case was emergency.”
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