Delta Police Intensify Search for Suspect in Alleged Arson and Attempted Murder
The Delta State Police Command has escalated efforts to locate a suspect identified as Ignatius, who is wanted for alleged arson and attempted murder. The incident occurred on Monday, February 23, in Okpanam, within the Asaba area of Delta State, where the suspect reportedly set his wife's shop ablaze.
Wife's Harrowing Account of the Fire Incident
Juliet Opudiri, the wife, informed authorities that her husband not only ignited her shop but also locked her foster child and a worker inside the caravan shop before fleeing. She recounted that the fire erupted while she was at home feeding her baby. "I was feeding my baby when I heard a loud noise. I rushed to the window and saw that my shop was on fire. I dropped my baby and started shouting that my shop was burning. Neighbours rushed out and we all ran there," she said.
Residents initially attempted to extinguish the flames before contacting the fire service, but the fire had already spread to adjacent shops by the time help arrived. "People were breaking down the doors to force them open and tried to quench the fire, but did not succeed. Before the fire service operatives came, the fire had spread to two shops beside mine. When they finally arrived, they put it out, but everything had already been destroyed," she added.
Alleged Details of the Attack and Financial Ruin
Opudiri alleged that her foster child, Chimuanya, later described the events leading up to the fire. According to her account, shortly after she left the shop, the generator malfunctioned, prompting the worker to check it in the backyard, where he encountered her husband. "My husband carried the generator inside the shop and ordered the worker to kneel down, warning that nobody should move. He sprinkled fuel around the shop and inside the caravan, pushed Chimuanya into the caravan and padlocked it. He then locked the back gate, struck a match and set the place on fire," she stated.
Describing the act as arson and attempted murder, Opudiri emphasized that her foster child was trapped inside the caravan during the blaze. She reported the matter to the police immediately, but the suspect remains at large. "He ran away and we have not seen him since. He even called me to threaten that what he did was nothing compared to what he would still do. He said he would frustrate me and destroy anything I build again," she revealed.
Impact on Family and Police Response
The mother of four expressed that the incident has left her financially devastated, as she lost all her goods, including items purchased on loan and through credit facilities. "I have nothing left. The goods were on loan and credit, and I don't know how to repay them. Because of the threats, I had to move out with my children, and they have stopped going to school out of fear," she lamented.
Confirming the incident, SP Bright Edafe, spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, assured that efforts are underway to apprehend the suspect. "We are on it. The man is on the run and we will do our best to get him. When someone knows he is being pursued, he tries to move far away to evade arrest. That makes it difficult, but we are on his trail and he will definitely be arrested," Edafe stated.
