Tragedy struck in Amaokwe Ugba, Umuahia North LGA, Abia State, as a raging inferno completely destroyed the home of a Catholic Catechist, Mr. Benjamin Amaechi, and his wife, Margaret, leaving them with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The couple, devastated by the loss of their four-bedroom apartment, suspect arson, alleging that their house may have been targeted by individuals they had previously advised to abandon bad lifestyles and seek repentance.
“We were asleep when the fire started in my room and spread rapidly. Everything we owned was destroyed. We believe this was not an accident,” Amaechi stated.
Community, Firefighters Unable to Save Home
Despite desperate efforts from sympathetic community members and the Abia State Fire Service, the fire completely consumed the house, reducing it to ashes.
Margaret, a teacher, dismissed any possibility of an electrical fault, insisting there was no power surge or spark before the fire.
“This fire was not accidental. There was no electricity spark, yet it started so suddenly. We lost everything,” she lamented.
Double Tragedy as Burial Plans Are Disrupted
In a painful twist, Benjamin revealed that the corpse of his mother-in-law is still in the mortuary, with her burial planned for March, further compounding their distress.
Expressing gratitude for escaping the fire with their lives, the couple has called on kind-hearted individuals and the church community for assistance as they struggle to rebuild.
