80-year-old woman dies as fire razes 50 houses in Benue

An 80-year-old woman was at the weekend burnt to death in a fire which reportedly razed down about 50 houses in Tse- Agubor Gyaruwa of Tsambee-Mbesev Council Ward in Gwer West LGA of Benue State.

The Village Head, Chief Ayatse Agubor, told journalists that the fire started at about 10am when the villagers were already on their farms.

He said his octogenarian mother who was killed in the fire could not get anyone to help her out of her sick bed, while attributing the fire to bush burning.

A resident, Hajia Kongo, who lost over 10 bags of maize, soya beans, clothes and other household items, including N110,000 she hid in the bags, pleaded with good spirited individuals and the government to come to her rescue.

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The caretaker Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Henry Agba, while reacting to the incident, said his council would no longer tolerate bush burning in the area.

Agba added that a team would be detailed to assess the extent of destruction to enable the council to report to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).