The Delta State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a man identified as Ignatius over alleged arson and attempted murder after he reportedly set his wife’s shop on fire in Okpanam, near Asaba, on Monday, February 23.
The victim, Juliet Opudiri, told police that her husband allegedly locked her foster child and a worker inside the caravan shop before setting it ablaze and fleeing the scene. She said the inferno destroyed all her goods, including items purchased on loan and through credit facilities.
Recounting the incident, Opudiri said the fire started while she was at home feeding her baby.
“I was feeding my baby when I heard a loud noise. I looked out and saw that my shop was on fire. I dropped my baby and began shouting. Neighbours rushed out and we all ran there,” she said.
According to her, residents attempted to put out the fire before calling the fire service, but the flames had already spread to two nearby shops by the time firefighters arrived.
“People tried to break open the doors and extinguish the fire, but it was unsuccessful. Before the fire service came, it had spread to two shops beside mine. When they finally put it out, everything had been destroyed,” she added.
Opudiri said her foster child, Chimuanya, later explained what happened before the fire intensified. She alleged that shortly after she left the shop, the generator suddenly went off, prompting her worker to check it at the back of the building, where he reportedly met her husband.
She claimed her husband carried the generator into the shop, ordered the worker to kneel and warned him not to move. He allegedly poured fuel around the shop and inside the caravan, forced the foster child into the caravan, padlocked it, locked the back gate, and then ignited the fire.
Describing the act as deliberate arson and attempted murder, Opudiri said the matter was immediately reported to the police, but the suspect remains at large.
“He ran away and we have not seen him since. He even called to threaten me, saying what he did was nothing compared to what he would still do. He said he would frustrate me and destroy anything I build again,” she alleged.
The mother of four said the incident has left her financially devastated and forced her to relocate with her children because of ongoing threats.
“I have lost everything. The goods were bought on loan and credit, and I don’t know how I will repay them. Because of the threats, I moved out with my children, and they have stopped going to school out of fear,” she said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the state police command, SP Bright Edafe, said efforts are ongoing to apprehend the suspect.
“We are on it. The man is on the run and we will do our best to get him. When someone knows he is being pursued, he tries to move far away to evade arrest. That makes it difficult, but we are on his trail and he will definitely be arrested,” Edafe said.