A mysterious early morning fire has destroyed a building leaving a grave house attached to the structure intact in Benin City.
Residents of Ekiuwa Street, New Market and its environs in 2nd East Circular Road are struggling to unravel the mysteries of an early morning fire outbreak that destroyed a building leaving a portion that houses the owner’s grave untouched in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Our correspondent visit last Monday revealed clusters of bewildered locals taking photos of the razed building with their phones as they discussed the fire in discordant opinions at the scene, 5, Ekiuwa Street, Off 2nd East Circular Road, Benin City.
Traders at a nearby New Market expressed joy that the flame did not spread to the market as their wares in the shops would have been reduced to aches.
Our correspondent gathered that the mysterious inferno started about 1:27am on Sunday, December 17, 2023.
A resident said the harmattan blaze suddenly dwindled when it approached the grave house attached to the building immediately after the sitting room.
The grave house shares the same roof, ceiling and wall with that of the affected building.
Checks by our correspondent revealed fresh flowers and portrait of a man neatly placed on a grave inside the white painted attached house with slide glass doors.
It was also learnt that no electricity supply to the area at the time of the fire outbreak to suggest possible electric spark as remote cause of the fire.
Records at our disposal indicate that this is the first time an attached grave house is surviving fire outbreak in Benin City in decades.
Contacted, one Larry Uyi Osadiaye said his father, late Mr. Moses Noguese Osadiaye, 83, owner of the building was buried in the said grave after his death on February 6, 2016.
He said his eldest brother Mr. Henry Osadiaye who inherited the building was inside alone when the fire started.
Mr. Larry also stated that the cause of the fire is still unknown as the family has formally reported the incident at Esigie Police Station covering the area.
Confirming the fire outbreak that gutted house 5, Ekiuwa Street, Off 2nd East Circular Road, Benin City, the Public Relations Officer, Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said one Henry Osadiaye reported the incident.
SP Nwabuzor said the police have commenced investigation into the inferno as their findings would be presented to the Commissioner of police, CP Mohammed Dankwara, for further action.
Goods worth several millions of naira kept inside shops in the building could not be savaged by youths and fire fighters who tried to put out the blazing fire.
Smoke was seen bellowing from king-size refrigerators, sewing machines, generators, wraps of clothes and other merchandise as well as household property inside the affected building.
The roof and wall of the entire building, apart from that of the grave house, were reduced to rumbles.
Voters and NIN cards as well as other documents were said to have also been lost to the flame.
