By CHARLES IWUOHA

A devastating late-night inferno has reduced a six-room apartment worth over N40 million to rubble in Nchoko, Ndechi community of Izzi Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, leaving a widower, Mr. Michael Emeliike, and his children homeless and in shock.

The fire, which erupted around 10 p.m. on November 3, struck without warning as the physically-challenged widower was asleep.

According to eyewitnesses and family members, the mystery surrounding the blaze has raised suspicions of arson within the community.

Mr. Emelike, who is hard of hearing, recounted being abruptly awakened by loud bangs on his window. When he opened the door, he was dragged outside by two unidentified men just as the roof and ceiling began collapsing.

“Had it been the fire blocked the entrance, I would have been a dead man by now,” he said, showing bruises on his knees sustained while being pulled to safety.

His son, Monday, who had briefly stepped out to buy an item, returned to find flames spreading rapidly across the roof.

‘Nothing Was Saved’

Attempts to salvage any belongings proved futile.

“Nothing was removed. Everything—including clothes, foodstuff, fridge, TV, bed is gone,” Monday lamented as neighbours rummaged through the smouldering debris.

The building, constructed just three years ago by Mr. Emelike and his late wife, is now a heap of ashes.

Community Suspects Arson

Eyewitnesses and relatives insist the fire could not have been accidental.

Mr. Stanley Nwoga, the family’s in-law and Director of Works in Abakaliki, dismissed the possibility of an electrical fault.

“There was no electricity. NEPA had disconnected them because they couldn’t pay their bill. This is not a power surge. Somebody came here and set this building ablaze,” he alleged.

He added that markings inside the rooms suggest something inflammable may have been poured before the fire ignited.

Another neighbour, Joseph Nwedu, who was among the first responders, said he broke through an iron door to rescue Mr. Emeniike.

“If I didn’t break that door, we would be talking about recovering a dead body today,” he said.

Family Now Sleeping in Poultry House

With no shelter remaining, the displaced family now sleeps inside a small poultry structure that formerly housed chickens.

“Mosquitoes, heat, suffering—this is where we sleep now,” Mr. Emelike said tearfully, calling for urgent intervention.

Calls for Improved Emergency Response

Reverend Remy Olukamma described the fire as “wickedness of the highest order,” insisting neither gas nor candle nor electricity was responsible.

“We perceive evil hands behind this. The family is homeless, the father is disabled, and the children have nowhere to lay their heads,” he stated.

He also appealed for the decentralization of fire service stations across Ebonyi North, Central, and South, saying the current distance from Abakaliki makes quick response to rural emergencies impossible.

The family is appealing to the Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ebonyi State Government, NGOs, churches, and private individuals for assistance.

“I don’t have anything to rebuild this house,” Mr. Emeliike cried. “We are begging the government to intervene in our problem.”

As investigations continue, tension persists in Nchoko community, where residents fear the fire may be part of a deliberate attack, prompting renewed calls for vigilance and stronger security.