A Benin-based widower (name withheld) has reportedly lost seven relatives including his own Children to generator fume.

The disaster occurred on Friday morning at No 40, Otote Street, off Textile Mill Road, Ogida quarters, in Egor Local Government Area of the State.

But, a top policeman who craved for anonymity said told our Correspondent on Friday evening hat victims whose identities have not been revealed, “ran generator over the night”.

The police source confirmed one death, but said that efforts were on to stabilize other victims who inhaled the generator fume.

A visit to the scene revealed that Neighbours of the victims have fled the house over fear of interrogation by police.

A resident of the area Mrs. Christy Igbinadolor who lives opposite the deceased residence, admitted that “she was at the deceased house that morning when a man came to ask her about the whereabouts of her neighbours which she advised him to go to the house and knock at their door and if there is no response, he should go to the police station and report”.

“This morning, when I woke up, I sat outside and I saw one man who came to ask me where are these people (the victims) and I replied him that I am just waking up from  sleep.

“I told him that I just sat down here reading my Bible. I said I have not seen them this morning but the only thing I see, is that, when I woke up last night, there was light in their house but when I woke up this morning, there was no light again.

“So, from there, the man went to the compound and knocked at their door. And I asked what happened, he said it is their senior brother in Port Harcourt. He said their elder brother called him and that he should come down and find out what was going on.

“I told him that when there is no response, the only thing he should do is to go to the police station and report.

“So, the man went to the police station and when he came back, he came with some police men and some members of the man’s church.

“So they broke the door and found out that some of them have died. So, they carried them to the hospital.

“So, I asked them to call their father. So they called their father and when he came, he went inside the house and found out that his children were lying on the floor.

“They dragged about five of them out. Some of them have babies because one of the man’s daughters came with her Children.

“The man’s children were grown up and they were the ones staying in the house while two of the man’s children were staying with the man’s late wife but they decided to come and mourn their mother here in Benin when this incident happened”, she lamented.

*Another sympathiser, Mrs. Rachel Anyanwu, said the father of the Children, lost his wife five days ago and that those who have been rushed to the hospital were his Children and his relatives who came to sympathize with him over the lost of his wife.

Anyanwu said they tried so hard to revive one of the Children were were set for school, but all was to no avail before they were rushed to the hospital.

“The man lost his wife last week Sunday and today making it five days now. Those who were rushed to the hospital these morning were his children and other relatives who came to sympathize with the man over the death of his wife.

“I know the man as an evangelist while his late wife  was a pastor”, she said.

Another sympathiser, Mr. Felix Ejofor, who rushed the victims to Central Hospital Benin, said he heard people crying at the compound which drew his attention and when he got there, he saw policemen already at the scene adding that when he looked closely, two of the children were already in their school uniforms while a pot of food was also closed by.

“So, he decided to help them by rushing them to the hospital for quick medical attention.

When our Correspondent got to the Central Hospital, the body of one of the victims was already inside a Van.

But one Solomon Omo-Osaro who said he brought one of his persons to the hospital for medical attention alleged that he saw them rushing four others into the hospital.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwanbuzor, when contacted, initially said he has not been briefed yet and that when he finds out, he would get back to the reporter.

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