Residents of Gas Plant area in Idua Road, Eket Local Government Area on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 woke up to a shocking sight of fire engulfing an apartment in one of the buildings in the vicinity.
The apartment, a two-room self contained is said to have been occupied by one Mr, Moses, the culprit, and his now late wife, Mrs. Lucy Sunday.
Reports have it that the late Lucy Sunday had died the previous day after a brief illness and would have been cremated by her husband who set the house ablaze with her corpse in it and fled the vicinity in the early hours of Wednesday.
Confirming the incident, one of the co-tenants informed that the happenstance occurred at about 4:00am on Wednesday when the strong smell and sight of smoke woke him up.
"It could be that he intended to set fire on the dead body but the family, some church members and neighbours arranged and took the body lately yesterday to the morge".
The incident is suspected to be caused by a misunderstanding between Moses, an acclaimed native of Mkpok Village, in Eket Local Government and the deceased who was from a section of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.
Mr. Moses who has occupied the apartment for less than a year with Mrs Lucy were not legally married and both parties have children from their former partners.
The Ink was also informed that upon the deceased's sickness, her children visited her often to help and care for her.
"Throughout the period of her sickness, the said Moses has been visiting and claiming to be traveling until the demise of his partner", the children narrated.
Findings also revealed that the receipt of tenancy bears the name of the deceased as well as the properties in the house.
The building which belongs to Esenowo Jack's family of Idua Village has 4 rooms altogether, 2 of which are occupied by another tenant.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the fire had completely razed down the two rooms occupied by Moses and his deceased wife, and affected other apartments before being put-out by neighbours.