An 80-year-old man, Mr Cyril Duru is cooling off in police cell in Imo State for allegedly setting a family house on fire.
Duru, a native of Umueze Orogwe, Owerri West LGA, was accused by family members of setting the house ablaze because of issues he had with family members over who is authentic owner of the house.
One of the family members, Mr Uche Duru, told journalists that they were shocked when they suddenly saw the building engulfed in flame.
He explained that family members are yet to come to terms on how the incident happened.
Uche narrated that the house comprising six rooms and a parlor
was completely razed , leaving nothing.
The suspect, Mr. Cyril, while fielding questions from journalists, denied setting the house ablaze.
He rather, accused his late brother’s wife, Marita Chiayalam Duru, and her children, of being responsible for the incident, alleging that he has repeatedly warned his brother’s wife and children to stop using gas cooker inside the building because of the danger it portended but they would not listen.
However, his brother’s wife, Chiayalam Duru refuted the accusation.
She hinted that her late husband’s brother had on several occasions, attempted to kill them and burn down the house.
She recounted that on the night before the incident, she saw Mr. Cyril holding a bottle filled with petrol, and when she confronted him, he insisted that it was kerosene.
“We woke up the next morning to find the entire house in flame, with all our belongings destroyed as attempt to secure some of our properties proved abortive due to the seriousness of the inferno.
“The facts leading to the incident are very clear, my late husband’s brother has repeatedly told us to leave the house, claiming that he is the owner,” she said.
Marita further explained that her husband’s brother claimed that he allocated a portion of land for her late husband to build his own house.
She added that her husband’s brother also claimed that he had accommodated them for a long time and that their stay in the house was becoming unbearable to him.
Countering her husband’s brother claim, Marita pointed out that the house was a joint family project, built through collective contributions.
She remarked that the family has been living in peace
for many years until recently when Mr. Cyril allegedly began threatening to destroy the building so he could sell the land.
Speaking on the incident, Nze Ukachi Nzeka, one of the village heads, told journalists that when some youths from the community attempted to extinguish the fire, Mr. Cyril was allegedly preventing them from putting it out.
