A childless widow, Mrs Regina Opoke from Eguho-Ezzagu in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Thursday evening escaped death when a man, Chima Edeh, set her house ablaze after attempting to kill her.
The widow was said to have escaped from her house before Edeh set her mud house ablaze when he noticed that the woman has fled.
Confirming the incident, the Catholic Priest of St Joseph Catholic Church, Eguho Ezzagu, Reverend Father Arinzechukwu Nkannebe, who accommodated the woman after she escaped, said that the current condition of the woman was terrible as all her clothes and other property were burnt to ashes.
The cleric said: “It was indeed terrible yesterday night with this ugly incident. One Mr. Chima Edeh from Onunweke Ubia set ablaze the house of a poor, childless old woman, Mrs Regina Opoke.
“This is wickedness and man’s inhumanity to fellow human being. A childless old woman, now homeless and living with the clothes she is wearing right now. This is terrible. Thanks to God, the guy has been apprehended by the youths.
“The woman is always in the church cleaning and sweeping the compound. I gave her a bag full of clothes sometime in January and a bag of rice last month. All these have been burnt.”
However, the chairman of Ishielu Local Government Area, Mr. Sunday Eze, when informed of the incident, asked the policemen to ensure justice is done over the matter.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Loveth Odah, said the matter is yet to get to her office.
