A six-month-old infant has died from an inferno that engulfed two of the seven units of the self-contained apartments on Rumuworlu Street in the Eneka community of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Speaking to New Daily Prime reporters on Tuesday, the neighbours of the victims family recounted that the fire started around 7 am yesterday with no trace, describing the incident as spiritual and mysterious.
Mr. Johnson Jonah, one of the neighbours narrated that the mother of the late six-month-old baby had gone out to buy something, adding that the children were locked inside the apartment while he went about washing his car before returning to his room.
He disclosed that the mother and her children recently returned from a trip.
Jonah said, “So we dey inside house dey hear fire o, fire o, fire, we no even know because this thing wey happen yesterday no even smoke, nothing like sign.
“So as she go buy indomie, she come lock the children inside, before we know we see fire for roof, we come dey rush but before she come back to open gate fire don already kill the small one, na the first son wey manage with the fire wey dey burn am, em manage open door come varander, na em survive but em dey hospital.
“The small one na six months, em no fit run, na cry em dey cry till em die and this one, if to say the protecter no lock, em for run out, fire for no burn am like that.”
Speaking on what could have led to the fire outbreak, as there was a trace of ignition, “Nobody knows what caused the fire. See the cylinder here (brings the cylinder), Jonah said. “She no dey cook inside house, na for varander; she no get kitchen inside house, the cylinder no burn, them no bring light, light no dey; I say nothing like smoke, no smell of something wey wan burn.
“This fire no be ordinary, the thing fear person like say na spiritual something, no be ordinary. This boy wey escape no so hot water pour am before him begin waka. This thing weak us.”
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Speaking with Mr. Saviour Moses, the husband and father to the victims, he said his wife and the surviving sibling to the late infant have been admitted at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH).
Moses, while crying for assistance, shared his concerns: “I am helpless; nothing was rescued from our house, nothing; my baby died inside. I am helpless; I don’t know where to start from and where to go. I need help. No place to stay, no money to pay hospital bill; I am confused.
“I want to beg everyone. I beg Obio/Akpor chairman; I beg people in this community; I beg those who feel my pain to please help me, help my family; I don’t want to lose my wife and my only child, please.
“I just wish this thing did not happen; since yesterday, I have been praying that it should be a dream, but till now, I have not woken up. Please help me, help me, please help me.
While observing the scene of the incident, it was gathered that the kitchen and bathroom were not damaged, but only the room was affected extensively.
