Permanent secretary, wife, 2 children perish in Benue blaze

The acting Permanent Secretary, Benue state Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology, Mr. Seker Akaa, his pregnant wife and two children were in the early hours of Monday burnt to death in a fire incident in Makurdi.

Benue state Police Public Relations Officer, Sewuese Anene, who confirmed the incident in Makurdi, disclosed that the fire started at about 2.40 am at Kwarafa Quaters, Makurdi.

Also affected by the raging fire were three other flats, including the residence of the Chaplain of the Government House, Evangelist Daniel Unongo, who is also senior special assistant to Gov. Samuel Ortom on religion.

Anene said that Mr. Akaa, his pregnant wife, Linda and their two children, were burnt to death during the fire disaster.

She said that the corpses have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi mortuary.

The police spokesperson said the cause of the fire accident is yet to be known, saying that “investigation into the matter has already commenced.”

The state Deputy Governor, Mr. Benson Abounu, who 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 state as the state has lost a prized asset in Mr. 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

Commissioner for Energy, Science Technology, Dr. Godwin Oyiwona also confirmed the incident and expressed the ministry’s deepest condolences.

An eyewitness, who refused to be named, stated that the fire started in flat 1, which is the residence of the late acting permanent secretary.

He said the permanent secretary and his family would have been saved, but because of the incessant cases of armed robbery recorded within the neighbourhood, 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 burglary protection on the doors to prevent them from getting easy access inside, that too caused delay of getting to them on time,” the eyewitness 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 the victims.

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Though the cause of the inferno remains unknown, eyewitnesses said it may have been caused by an electrical fault as it razed down the entire house and extended to three other houses and was still burning as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase said he is saddened by the death of Akaa and his family, saying it is a painful loss to the state government and the entire state.

The statement consoled the bereaved family as well as their friends and relations over the unfortunate incident and prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest.