Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A mysterious early morning fire has razed down a building leaving a grave house attached to the structure untouched in Benin City.
Residents of Ekiuwa Street, New market and its environs in Second East Circular road are struggling to unravel the mysteries of an early morning inferno that destroyed a building leaving a portion that housed the owner’s grave, untouched.
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 tones at the scene, 5, Ekiuwa Street, Off Second East Circular road.
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 fire started about 1:27 a.m 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 passed 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 further stated that 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 case at the Esigie Police station covering the area.
Confirming the fire outbreak that gutted house 5, Ekiuwa Street, Off Second 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 added that 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.