The Imo State Police Command has arrested an 80-year-old man, Mbr. Cyril Duru, in connection with the alleged arson of a family house in Owerri West Local Government Area.
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The incident, which occurred in Umueze Orogwe, has sparked a heated dispute over the ownership of the property.
According to a family member, Mr. Uche Duru, the suspect was accused of setting the six-room house ablaze following a long-standing dispute over the property’s ownership.
The family members were shocked to see the building engulfed in flames, and despite efforts to salvage some items, the house was completely razed, leaving nothing behind.
However, Mr. Cyril Duru denied the allegation, claiming that his late brother’s wife, Marita Chiayalam Duru, and her children were responsible for the fire.
He alleged that they had been using a gas cooker in the house despite his repeated warnings about the potential danger.
In response, Marita Duru dismissed the accusation, alleging that Mr. Cyril had repeatedly threatened to kill them and burn down the house.
She claimed that she saw Mr. Cyril holding a bottle containing petrol on the night before the incident and that he had been ordering them to vacate the house, insisting that he was the rightful owner of the property.
A village head, Nze Ukachi Nzeka, corroborated Marita’s account, stating that some youths in the community attempted to put out the fire but were allegedly prevented from doing so by Mr. Cyril.
The police have arrested Mr. Cyril Duru in connection with the incident, and further investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding it.
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