The State Controller, Federal Fire Service in Osun State, Femi Akinjobi, has lamented the ill-treatment meted out to his men while attempting to put out a fire from a burning vehicle in Osogbo, the state capital.

There was pandemonium at the Old Garage Area of Osun State capital on Thursday as a vehicle was observed burning near the MDS Road, as people ran in different directions, seeking fire extinguishers and water to suppress the flames.

Tempers, however, rose when operatives of the Federal Fire Service got to the scene and were about to disembark from their truck after the fire had been subdued.

Some displeased people at the scene, after hurling missiles at the firemen, also threatened to pounce on them if they should stop at the scene.

Reacting, Akinjobi, who witnessed the incident, said the mob misdirected their anger, adding that he deployed operatives to the scene of the incident immediately he got the distress call.

Further lamenting the attack on his men, Akinjobi said the police operatives present did not prevent the mob from venting their anger on the firemen deployed to the scene.

“We got information from the State Fire Service and immediately, we moved to the scene. We ran into a gridlock on the road.

The people concerned did not call us. It was an official of the state Fire Service who called my men.

“I followed my men with my private vehicle. Immediately we got there, the hoodlums started throwing stones at my men. My men quickly left the scene. They could not work there. There was no damage to our appliances. Police operatives were at the scene and they could not do anything. That was the most painful part,” Akinjobi said.

But while responding to the allegations, the spokesperson, Osun Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, said operatives at the scene prevented the firemen from attack.

“The vehicle caught fire. We don’t know how it happened and the police responded immediately by calling the fire service. The fire service was delayed in coming. We have both state and federal fire services. So, the fire service they called is the state fire service but they gave excuses.

“The Federal Fire Service men were on their way, even people who witnessed the incident were already angry that they called the fire service, but no quick response. So, when people saw the Federal Fire Service, not that they were attacked, but people shouted at them.

“That made them leave the scene. If they had remained there, something else might have happened. So, they did not even stop to put out the fire, for people not to start attacking them.

As at that point when they came, the fire had already been put out, though not completely,” Ojelabi said. (The PUNCH)

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