Idemudia Obamwonyi, a man that inherited his late father’s house, has allegedly set the building ablaze after he was angered by the non-payment of rented apartment by his tenants.
Leadership reports that, also affected in the inferno were 20 shops in the building located at Iwebo lane behind Oba Market in Benin City, Edo State were razed. Idemudia was said to have prevented people in the neighborhood from putting out the raging fire shouting that since he does not get any money from the house.
Many of the shop owners have locked their jobs before the fire started.
A resident in the area, Ifaluyi Obasogie, said it was unheard of for a landlord to set his own house ablaze.
“We saw people holding him and he was saying let the house burn, I don’t get any money from it.”
A shop owner who gave his name as Justice Aigbekhan said they have paid their rent but Idemudia kept asking for money claiming that he want to perform his father’s burial.
“If they are having family issues, they should go and solve it. It is not for them to put us in trouble.”
Another shop owner, Cynthia Obaseki said she lost goods worth N5m to the inferno.
Edo State Police Public Relation officer, DSP Chidi Nwanbuzo when contacted said investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Watch a video from the scene of the inferno below: