80-Year-Old Man Allegedly Sets Family House Ablaze In Imo State, Renders Brother’s Wife, Nephews Homeless…

A troubling incident unfolded on Monday morning, January 12, 2026, in Umueze Orogwe, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, where a family house was allegedly set ablaze under controversial and distressing circumstances, leaving a widow and her children homeless.

According to members of the affected family, including Mr. Uche Duru, shock gripped them when they suddenly saw the building engulfed in flames.

He expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, stating that only God truly understands how such a heartbreaking event could occur.

Universal Reporters, which arrived promptly at the scene, confirmed that the structure, comprising six rooms and a parlour, was completely consumed by the fire, leaving nothing to be salvaged.

In a brief interview with journalists, the prime suspect, Mr. Cyril Duru, who is about 80 years old, firmly denied setting the house ablaze.

He instead blamed his late brother’s wife, Mrs. Maritha Chiayalam Duru, and her children, alleging that despite his repeated warnings, they continued using a gas cooker inside the building, which he claimed posed a danger.

However, Mrs. Maritha Chiayalam Duru, née Ucheka, strongly refuted these accusations.

She alleged that her late husband’s brother had, on several occasions, attempted to kill them and burn down the house.

She recounted that on the night before the incident, she saw Mr. Cyril holding a bottle filled with petrol, and when she confronted him, he insisted that it was kerosene.

According to her, they woke up the next morning to find the entire house in flames, with all their belongings destroyed.

Earlier statements made by Mr. Cyril to journalists revealed that he had become increasingly dissatisfied with the presence of his late brother’s wife and children in the house.

He claimed that although he allocated a portion of land for his late brother to build his own house, the family refused to relocate.

He added that he had accommodated the widow and her three sons for many years, but their prolonged stay had become unacceptable to him.

On the contrary, Mrs. Maritha and her children maintained that the house was a joint family project, constructed through their collective contributions.

They insisted that peace had reigned in the home for many years until recently when Mr. Cyril allegedly began threatening to destroy the building so he could sell the land.

In a further conversation with this medium, Mr. Cyril acknowledged that Mrs. Maritha and her late husband contributed financially during the construction, specifically providing the funds used for roofing and the ceiling.

He added that he personally bought the cement and moulded the blocks used for the structure.

Community sources also revealed that when some peace-loving youths from Orogwe rushed to extinguish the fire, Mr. Cyril was allegedly preventing them from putting out the flames.

Police authorities in the area have since commenced investigations into the matter, and the community awaits an official report to uncover the true circumstances surrounding the disturbing fire incident.

It is evident that the childless 80-year-old man is currently being detained at the Imo State Police Command Headquarters, Owerri, as investigations continue.