Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A middle aged man, Kayode Akerele, was on Monday, burnt to death following a midnight fire that gutted his apartment at Igarra in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.
One of the members of the family who pleaded anonymity said the deceased lit a candle in his room and slept off adding that the fire from it eventually engulfed the room and burnt him dead in the process.
He said that it took the timely response of the people in the neighborhood to prevent it (fire)from razing down the entire building which also housed the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“A neighbour said he saw him buy a candle and went into his room. He lit the candle and slept-off, the candle burnt into the rug and then inflamed the ceiling and in the process the ceiling collapsed on him. He must have been in a deep sleep as he was suffocated and burnt to death”, he said
The family member also said that the deceased was hurriedly buried to avoid much comments from the people in the community.
“To avoid prying eyes and persons who wanted to immediately start posting his pictures on social media, the family immediately decided to bury him. So, family members who were around mobilised immediately and ensured he was buried. He was among those who graduated into the Igarra Community Elders Council in 2018”, the family member said in confidence.