Sodiq Rabiu
ABEOKUTA, Nigeria – An 80-year-old woman, identified as Mariam Salako, has died in a fire incident in Nigeria’s Ogun state, police said Saturday.
The woman reportedly died when fire gutted a building in the Ifelodun Agoka area in Abeokuta, the capital of the southwestern state.
The incident occured at 1:00a.m on Saturday, Ogun State Police Command’s spokesperson Omolola Odutola said in a statement.
The police statement said: “Around 1:00a.m, a distress call was made regarding a building on fire located at No. 28 Ifelodun Agoka area in Abeokuta.
“The Area Commander promptly led a team of police officers to the site while the fire service was called for assistance.
“The Ogun State Fire Service quickly responded and managed to bring the fire under control.
“Unfortunately, an elderly woman, Mariam Salako, aged 80, who lived in the building, was unable to escape and died in the fire incident.”
Ms Odutola said a man known as Baba Ali, was asleep during the fire but he was rescued through a window by community members.
The police spokeswoman explained that the remains of the elderly woman had been deposited at a morgue.