A 52-year-old man has died in a late-night fire at Lafia Hotel on Coca-Cola Road in Ilorin.
The blaze affected a facility used for short-let accommodations.
According to the spokesman of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, the fire involved a building with two flats, each containing three bedrooms, all of which were impacted.
“The entire building was heavily engulfed in smoke, making escape extremely difficult for occupants.
“Tragically, one life was lost in the incident an unidentified male, estimated to be about 52 years of age,” he stated.
Adekunle disclosed that “Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was attributed to a power surge, as the outbreak reportedly occurred immediately after power supply was restored, leading to rapid fire spread across the building.”
Firefighters arrived promptly and brought the fire under control at about 23:51hrs, he added.
Three fire appliances were deployed to tackle the blaze, with support from the Federal Fire Service, whose personnel were also on the scene.
Alabi Muhammed, Director of the state fire service, expressed deep concern over the loss of life and advised property owners, particularly short-let operators, to ensure proper electrical installations, use quality surge protectors, and carry out routine electrical safety inspections.
He also urged the installation of smoke detectors, emergency lighting, and fixed firefighting systems to aid early detection and evacuation, noting that smoke inhalation remains a major cause of fatalities during fires.