Alltimepost.com Sincerity of Purpose
BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
A middle-aged man described as a dependable and dedicated church usher has died in a midnight fire that engulfed a residential building at No. 14 Benso Street, off Okhoro Road in Benin City, Edo State of Ngeria.
The victim, identified as Mr. Etebet Oyemara, was indoors with his wife and other occupants when the fire broke out, reportedly giving them little time to evacuate.
Oyemara, who was also the head of the electrical unit at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in the Okhoro area, was said to have been trapped while attempting to salvage property from the raging fire.
His wife, Mrs. Oyemara, sustained severe burns and is currently receiving treatment at the emergency department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin.
The tragic incident has thrown both the Holy Spirit Catholic Church and the wider Okhoro community into mourning.
According to sources, an impromptu Mass was held in the afternoon in memory of the deceased, while arrangements are underway to transport his remains to his hometown in the Eastern part of Nigeria.
A visit to the scene revealed the charred rubble of the building.
It was gathered that officials of the Edo State Fire Service, along with support from Guinness Nigeria Plc, reportedly helped to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby properties.
Some of the affected residents, including Mr. Joseph Eromonsele, Mr. Emmanuel Ebenezer, and Mr. Johnbull Ojeabulu appealed to the Edo State Government and other relevant authorities for support, lamenting that they lost all their life savings in the incident.
As of press time, the cause of the fire remained unknown.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, CSP Moses Joel Yamu, confirmed the incident.
“It is confirmed. One 60-year-old, Etebet Oyemara, lost his life in the fire. Investigation is ongoing to unravel the cause of the incident,” he said.
