A middle-aged woman has been arrested by the Benue State Police Command after two young girls, believed to be the daughters of her alleged lover, died in a fire that razed a house in Ukum Local Government Area of the state.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Monday in the Kaffe area of Zaki-Biam.
According to residents, the suspect, identified simply as Mbayegh, had visited the home of her alleged lover, Aondoyima Ierkwagh, but was reportedly asked to leave after he declined her request to spend the night.
Community sources alleged that the woman became upset and refused to leave the premises, believing another woman was inside the residence.
It was gathered that Ierkwagh’s wife was away in Taraba State for farming activities at the time of the incident.
The man reportedly secured his two daughters in a separate round hut before retiring to another structure on the compound.
A source said the suspect allegedly set the hut where the children were asleep on fire around midnight, apparently thinking another woman was inside.
The inferno reportedly engulfed the building, leaving the girls with severe burns.
Although neighbours rushed to rescue the victims and took them to a hospital, they later succumbed to their injuries.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said the children’s father reported the matter to the police.
Edet explained that while there were claims the incident stemmed from a dispute between the suspect and the children’s father, the police were yet to establish the motive.
She said the report received by the command indicated that an individual had set the man’s house ablaze, leading to the fatal injuries sustained by the two girls.
The police spokesperson added that a suspect had been taken into custody, while investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.