Five-year-old sets building on fire while playing with matches in Ilorin

• A duplex room was completely destroyed, and the property was saved by state fire service personnel after the fire service arrived.

• A five-year-old boy accidentally dropped matches on combustible material, causing a fire, according to Hassan Adekunle, spokesman for the state fire service.

A five-year-old boy has allegedly ignited a duplex building while playing with matches in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Reports indicate that one of the rooms in the duplex was entirely consumed by flames, resulting in significant property damage before the state fire service arrived to mitigate further destruction.

Hassan Adekunle, the spokesman for the state fire service, confirmed the incident, explaining that the fire originated from the boy’s accidental dropping of matches onto a flammable surface, which subsequently intensified the blaze.

Adekunle, who serves as a principal fire officer and heads Media and Publicity for the state fire service, stated in a press release issued on Monday evening that firefighters responded promptly after receiving an emergency call.

He further noted that the firefighting team successfully contained the fire to a single room, preventing it from spreading throughout the entire structure.

The statement reads in part, “Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire was caused by a five-year-old boy playing with matches, who inadvertently dropped a lit stick on combustible material, igniting the flames.

“On Monday, 3rd February 2025, at about 17:32 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service received a distress call regarding a fire outbreak at Abiodun Adebiyi Close, Off Yidi Road, Irewolede Area, Ilorin.

“Our gallant firefighters sprang into action, arriving swiftly at the scene to find one room in a five-bedroom duplex engulfed in flames.

“Through sheer expertise and technical precision, the team worked fervently to contain the fire, ensuring it did not spread to other rooms or nearby buildings, and because of their exceptional skill and coordination, only one room was affected.