From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
An 80 year old woman has been burnt to death in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue state.
She was burnt when fire gutted over 50 houses at Tse Agubor Gyaruwa, Tsambee – Mbesev Council Ward of Gwer west LG.
and Burt to death with other properties worth million Naira
The Village Head of the community, Chief Ayatse Agubor, who disclosed this in Makurdi on Sunday, said the incident took place at about 10 am, on January 18, 2024, when members of the village were in the farm.
Zaki Agubor said when the fire began, they all ran to the farm to stop the fire from affecting their farm products which they stored in the farm.
But as they were at it, they also noticed that the whole village was on fire.
He warned youths in the area to desisted from unauthorized bush burning as henceforth there will be a punishment if anyone is cought in the act.
A woman Hajia Kongo who lost over 10 bags of maize, soya beans and over N100,000 she hid in one of the bags of corn, lamented the level of destruction caused by the inferno.
Kongo called on the state government and good spirited individuals to assist them cushion the effects of the loss.
Reacting to the incident the Caretaker Chairman of Gwer West, Mr Henry Agba said his Council will no longer tolerate incessant bush burning in the local government.
The Chairman said his Council will send a team to assess the extent of destruction in the inferno to enable the council report to the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA).