A mysterious fire on Sunday completely destroyed a bungalow located at No 8, Edegbe Ugbogbo street, off 3 house road, Upper Sokponba Benin City. The fire, which started while the occupants were away at church, razed the building, destroying properties worth several millions of naira, including academic credentials and other documents.
The owner of the house, a retired police officer from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was contacted by neighbors who informed him of the fire. His children, who were occupying the house, rushed back home but were met with the devastating sight of their burnt home.
According to Smart Oriakhi, one of the daughters of the owner, “We were in church for a harvest thanksgiving when my father called from Port Harcourt that our house was on fire. We immediately boarded a taxi back home, but by the time we got there, everything was gone with the fire.”
Oriakhi revealed that the fire started from inside one of the rooms, which had been unoccupied for two weeks. She also expressed disappointment that the state fire service refused to respond to the emergency, citing concerns about the area being volatile.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, and an investigation is expected to be conducted to determine the origin of the blaze.
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