The Acting Permanent Secretary, Benue State Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology, Mr Seker Akaa, his pregnant wife and two kids were burnt to death in a fire incident in Makurdi on Monday.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Benue, DSP Sewuese Anene, confirmed the inferno in Makurdi.
Anene said the fire started about 2.40 a.m at Kwarafa Quarters, Makurdi.
Three other flats were also burnt including the residence of Evangelist Daniel Unongo, Chaplain of Benue Government House, who is also Senior Special Assistant to Governor Samuel Ortom on Religion.
Anene said Akaa, his pregnant wife, Linda, two children; Sender and Tertsegh Akaa, all occupants of Flat 1 were burnt to death during the disaster.
She said that the dead bodies had been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi mortuary.
The police spokesperson said the cause of the fire accident was yet to be known, saying “investigation into the matter had already commenced”.
The Deputy Governor, Mr Benson Abounu, who immediately visited the scene, expressed shock at the level of destruction and loss of human lives.
According to Abounu, it is a black day for Benue and the state has lost a prized asset in Akaa.
He prayed God to give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
“We cannot undo what has happened. At the moment, government will take responsibility for their burial and assist the other families to relocate. We warn against any looting of property.” Abounu said
The Commissioner, Energy, Science Technology, Dr Godwin Oyiwona, also confirmed the incident and expressed the ministry’s deepest condolences.
It was learned that the fire started in Flat 1, the residence of the late acting permanent secretary.
He said the perm sec and his family would have been saved but because of the incessant cases of armed robbery recorded within the neighborhood, the neighbours thought it was armed robbers that were operating again.
“Actually the fire started at Mr Akaa’s house, we would have saved him and his family but we thought it was armed robbers that were again attacking us.
“You see armed robbers attack us here regularly. So, we have adopted ways of self-defence by providing burglar protection on the doors to prevent them from getting easy access inside, that too caused delay of getting to them on time,” it said.
The witness said fire fighters from Benue Government House, Makurdi, came to the scene on time but they had little to do to save them.
Though the cause of the inferno remained unknown, eyewitnesses said it might have been caused by electrical fault as it razed down the entire house and extended to three other houses.
The fire was still burning as of the time of filing the report.
