An entire family of five, including a husband, wife, and their three young children, died in an early morning house fire in the Kofar Sauri community of Katsina on Monday.
The victims were identified as Muhammad Habibu (35), his wife Fatima Muhammad, and their children Khadija, Abubakar, and Aliyu. The fire, which started in the living room while the family was asleep, quickly engulfed the home and blocked all escape routes, destroying property worth millions of naira.
Residents suspected that the fire was caused by high voltage that occurred when electricity was restored to the area in the early hours of the morning.
According to reports from residents, unstable power supply has been a persistent issue for nearly a decade, with constant power fluctuations being blamed for similar incidents across the state.
Cases like this have been happening in some parts of Katsina metropolis. Residents often go days without electricity, only for high voltage to cause havoc whenever power is restored. This calls for caution among residents – Magaji Bala
The Katsina Regional Manager of KEDCO, Aminu Bukari, countered the claims, stressing that it was unlikely for a high-voltage surge to affect only a single house in a community of over 5,000 homes.
Eyewitnesses expressed frustration about the late arrival of the Katsina State Fire Service. However, the Chief Fire Officer, Rabe Audi Kurmuyal, confirmed that his team successfully extinguished the fire, though the rescue attempt failed.
Kasim Aliyu, a relative of the deceased, described the event as devastating, urging authorities to take action against the recurring disasters.
The fire gutted the house around 3:00 a.m. I sensed something at that time but didn’t know what it was until I received a call around 4:00 a.m. informing me that my brother and his entire family had died in the fire – Kasim Aliyu
The Katsina State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has conducted an on-the-spot assessment to prepare for the provision of relief materials to the bereaved family and neighbours. Investigation and regulatory enforcement is currently underway to ensure that power restoration does not wreak havoc to residents in the future.
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