Woman arrested after boyfriend’s two daughters die in Benue house fire

A woman has been arrested after two young girls died in a house fire in Zaki Biam, Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, with police investigating claims that the incident may have been linked to a relationship dispute.

The suspect, identified by police as Mbalumen Ikyenge, was arrested after the fire that destroyed the home of Aondoyima Ierkwagh and led to the  deaths of his daughters, aged four and six.

The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the incident to the  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Makurdi.

Edet said the command received a report from the girls’ father alleging that someone had set his house on fire.

“I don’t really know if it was a lovers’ quarrel that resulted in the act, but the report we got from the father of the girls was that someone set his house on fire,” the police spokesperson said.

She said neighbours tried to save the children.

“Neighbours tried to rescue the girls by rushing them to the hospital but they died while receiving treatment. So, I can’t say whether it was a lovers’ quarrel,” she added.

Edet confirmed that a suspect had been arrested and that investigations were ongoing.

Some eyewitnesses, however, told NAN on condition of anonymity that the incident followed a disagreement between the suspect and her boyfriend.

According to the witnesses, the suspect visited Ierkwagh’s residence on Sunday night but was asked to leave. They alleged that she refused after suspecting another woman was inside the house.

The witnesses also claimed that Ierkwagh had locked his two daughters in a separate round hut before retiring to another hut.

They further alleged that around midnight, the suspect set one of the huts on fire, believing another woman was inside. The fire reportedly spread to the hut where the two girls were sleeping.

Neighbours were said to have rescued the children and rushed them to hospital, where they later died from severe burns.

Edet said the police were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine what happened and establish the motive.

She urged members of the public to remain calm and allow the investigation to run its course.