Confusion trails death of grandma, 4 children in fire

•Suspects at large

Stories from Paul Osuyi, Asaba

THERE was confusion at the weekend in Idumuje-Ugboko community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State following the mysterious death of a grandmother and four of her children who were set ablaze by assailants on Christmas Day.
Community sources said the fire was a make-belief, noting that there were indications that the victims were earlier killed and later assembled in the living room of their apartment before being burnt.
The name of the grandmother was given as Comfort Ubani, while the names of her four grandchildren were unknown as at Press time.
The eldest of the children, a teenager, was allegedly violated as there were blood stains in her underwear and her thighs even after the fire.
The source noted that everything in the apartment where the mystery fire supposedly occurred remained intact except an old cushion chair and a plastic chair that burnt in the living room, alleging that the incident was carefully masterminded by the assailants.
“Another factor that raised suspicion is the reported shock find that the victims had pieces of clothes stuffed in their mouths, for stop them from crying for help.
“This shows that the victims were killed by unknown persons, who, thereafter, gathered them into the parlour and set them ablaze. The parlour did not burn much, but few household items like chairs and others that were burnt without much effect on the building.
“We cannot tell the cause of the fire, but we saw pieces of clothes forced apparently into their mouths and wondered what could have caused that,” the source said.
He said the grandmother and three of the children burnt right inside the parlour, while the fourth child, who was wearing a school uniform, was found dead somewhere else in the compound.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zanna Mohammed Ibrahim, was said to have visited the scene same day and reportedly assured the people that the police will get to the root of the matter.
Meanwhile, the corpses have been deposited in a hospital mortuary in the area.