A duplex belonging to Chief Ifeanyi Madu, former Executive Chairman of Umuneochi Local Government Area, was completely gutted by fire on April 10th at Umuobia Housing Estate in Umuahia.
Chief Madu, currently abroad, is calling for a full investigation, strongly suspecting the blaze was deliberately set.
The fire, which broke out around 3:00 AM, was first reported to Chief Madu by a relative in Enugu. His brother, Ogochukwu Ihewe Peter, rushed to the scene and found the house already engulfed in flames, with no belongings able to be salvaged.
Chief Madu expressed deep concern over the circumstances, pointing to the fact that the property’s electricity had been disconnected by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
He also questioned how a fire could ignite in a room that had been unoccupied for five days.
“The nature of the fire raises a lot of questions,” Chief Madu stated, revealing he had received threats to burn down the property back in December 2020.
He fears for the safety of his family and is urging authorities to launch a thorough investigation.
His wife, Mrs Madu, who was home with their children at the time of the incident, recounted a harrowing escape.
She was alerted to the smoke by their house girl, and the family fled the house, discovering the fire had started in their son’s bedroom – despite him being away on a trip.
Neighbours played a crucial role in containing the blaze before the arrival of the fire service. Mrs Madu confirmed there was no electricity at the time, and their solar system had shut down earlier that evening.
Abia State Chief Fire Officer, Mr Nnanna Arua confirmed the incident and commended his team’s quick response in preventing the fire from spreading to neighbouring properties.
He stated that investigations into the cause of the fire are currently underway.
Despite the serious concerns raised by Chief Madu, authorities have confirmed that, as of this report, no formal complaint has been filed with the police.
