fire early Sunday morning razed a building at No 5, Ekiuwa Street,Off Second East Circular road, Benin City,Edo State leaving a grave house attached to the structure intact.
A visit to the burnt building revealed that goods worth several millions of naira kept inside shops in the building could not be savaged by youths and fire fighters who tried to put out the fire.
Traders at a nearby New Market expressed joy that the fire did not spread to the market as their wares in the shops would have been reduced to ashes.
Clusters of bewildered locals were seen taking photos of the razed building with their phones as they discussed in hushed tunes
A resident said the harmattan fire suddenly stopped when it approached the grave house attached to the building immediately after the sitting room.
The grave house shares the same roof, ceiling and wall with that of the affected building.
Checks revealed fresh flowers and portrait ofa man neatly placed on a grave inside the white painted attached house with slide glass doors.
It was also learnt that no electricity supply to the area at the time of the fire outbreak to suggest possible electric spark as remote cause of the fire.
When contacted, Larry Uyi Osadiaye said his father, Late Moses Noguese Osadiaye, 83, owner of the building was buried in the said grave after his death on February 6, 2016.
He further stated that his eldest brother Mr. Henry Osadiaye who inherited the building was inside alone when the fire started.
Osadiaye also stated that the cause of the fire is still unknown as the family has formally reported the at Esigie police station covering the area.
Confirming the fire outbreak the Public Relations Officer, Edo State Police Command SP Chidi Nwabuzor said one Henry Osadiaye reported the incident.
SP Nwabuzor added that police have commenced investigation into the inferno as their findings would be presented to the Commissioner of police CP Mohammed Dankwara for further action.
