Fire renders 78-yr-old widow homeless in Benin

A septuagenarian widow and her tenants have been rendered homeless after a fire destroyed her residential building, cash, and household property worth millions of Naira in Benin City, last Friday.

It was gathered that the fire started in one of the rooms after electricity was restored to the area about 5 pm that fateful day.

The affected building is located at 22, Otoighile Street, Off Orosanye Street, Off Okhoro Road, Benin City.

It was also learned that the intervention of the federal firefighters was not swift, however, prevented the blaze from possibly spreading to a nearby buildings.

The 78-year-old widow Mrs. Rebecca Omorodion narrated that some children in the compound had informed her that there was a fire in one of the rooms.

“When they on light, the children ran to me shouting mama fire, mama fire in that room, before I got there the fire has spread everywhere.

“I ran out of my compound and started shouting for help.

“Look at me, I slept outside last night, I don’t have a place to go, I need help”. Mrs. Rebecca appealed.

Some neighbors who besieged the scene to sympathize with Mrs. Rebecca Omorodion and her tenants called for assistance as she labored with her late husband to erect the burnt building.

Over 10 occupants of the building lost cash and valuables in the inferno.

When our reporter visited the scene last Saturday, burnt mattresses, plasma TVs, refrigerators, fans, executive chairs, clothes, and other valuables were sighted among the debris.

Osamudiamen Aimunumenfoh and one Mr. John both occupants of the building appealed to the state government and kind-hearted members of the public to assist them as all their property except the dress on them, were consumed by the fire.

The tenets said that they were at their various places of work when they were informed that fire had engulfed their rented apartments.