DEADLY FIRE GUTS KWARA HOTEL, MAN LODGING WITH SEX WORKER CONFIRMED DEAD

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By: Fasasi Hammad

Fresh details have emerged on how a man lost his life in a fire incident at Lafia Hotel in Ilorin last Thursday.

The blaze broke out at about 11:38 p.m. in the hotel located along Coca-Cola Road in the Kwara State capital. The fire started in a short-let apartment within the facility.

According to reports and graphic images from the scene, the unidentified victim was burnt beyond recognition.

Sources indicated that the man had allegedly checked into the room of a female occupant involved in commercial sex activities, reportedly to spend the night.

Findings by the media revealed that prior to the outbreak, the woman had stepped out to purchase some items and locked the man inside the room. This was said to be in line with the hotel’s policy prohibiting female occupants from keeping male guests overnight.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have launched an investigation into the incident, while the sex workers operating at the facility have reportedly vacated the premises.

The fire, believed to have been caused by a power surge, affected a two-flat building with three bedrooms in each unit, all of which sustained damage.

Heavy smoke engulfed the structure, significantly hindering escape efforts.

Hassan Adekunle, spokesperson of the Kwara State Fire Service, said preliminary findings linked the outbreak to a power surge, noting that the fire reportedly ignited shortly after electricity was restored, leading to its rapid spread.

He added that firefighters responded swiftly and were able to contain the blaze by 11:51 p.m.