A fire incident has burnt an 80-year-old woman and razed 50 houses in Tse-Agubor Gyaruwa of Tsambee-Mbesev Council Ward in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.
The Village Head of the area, Chief Ayatse Agubor, said in Makurdi that the fire started at about 10am on Sunday when the villagers were already on their various farms.
According to Agubor, octogenarian mother died in the fire as helpers could not reach her on her sickbed because people were not at home.
He said the fire to started by unauthorised bush burning, warning youths of the community to desist from the act or face the wrath of the law.
A villager, Hajia Kongo, who lost over 10 bags of maize, soya beans, clothes and other household items including N110,000, said she hid in the bags of the burnt corn, adding that the level of destruction made to her vacate her house.
She appaeled to individuals and the government to come to her rescue.
Caretaker Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Henry Agba, said the council would no longer tolerate unwanted bush burning in the area.
Agba said a team would be detailed to assess the extent of destruction caused by the inferno to enable the council report to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
Meanwhile, the Police spokesperson for Benue Command, SP. Catherine Anene, was yet to make a statement on the incident as at press time.
