Atleast ten tenants have been reportedly hospitalised at various clinics in Afikpo in the Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi state.
WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that these tenants sustained fire burns after a yet-to-be identified person set house ablaze in the area on Saturday.
Sources disclosed that the inferno started at about 2am on Saturday also destroyed a computer centre, shops, a SIENNA wagon among others at Mgbom village, Afikpo North Council of the state.
According to the investigations, the yet-to-be identified perpetrators, had after setting the house on fire, went on to smatch cars parked within the premises, that refused to burn.
Another source disclosed that “it was people that set the house on fire. They poured fuel round the building and round the SIENA car that was packed in front of the house and smatch another car there. While the house was burning, the vehicle outside, was also burning.
“But what I can say is that the owner of the building died sometime ago and the building has been in contention. One of the nephews of the owner of the house, who died sometime ago, is dragging the house with someone they call the Landlady, of the building.
“Two of them are ‘fighting’ over the building. This one is saying I have this place, while another one is saying I have that place. So that’s the problem. One Sunday (nephew to the owner of the house) and a lady, called Reverend Ann, are dragging the building. The building has been in controversy.
“So many pieces of properties were burnt; about 10 tenants of the building were inflicted with varying degrees of fire burns and they currrently receiving treament at various hospitals, in Afikpo. A computer centre, two shops, valaubles and two cars were destroyed by the fires.”
He added, “Police in the area have visited the scene. Nobody was arrested, but they asked the Landlady to come and make statement, so as to make the whole thing official. I think they were already going to the police station, when I left to my house, this morning.
“During this incident, we made efforts to bring men of the Ebonyi State Fire Service. But they could not come; they told us that their vehicle broke down. So, it was a helpless situation, we found ourselves this morning.”
When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer in the area, Mr Livinus Nwenyim, said his men were working tirelessly to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident, adding that those who sustained injuries were responding to treament.
“We are still working tirelessly to ascertain what really led to this incident and even as we speak, we are still at the place. But before now, we have visited those who sustained injuries in the hospitals and they are stable. Our concern now is for them to be well. But we are investigating the incident,” Nwenyim added.