From John Akubo, DutseRESIDENTS of Dutse, the sleepy capital of Jigawa State, who heard the news of how three children of a family were burnt to death in an inferno, could not hold back their tears. It was a pathetic incidence in which fire raised down an apartment in a compound on Hakimi Street in Dutse, the capital of the State at about 7.30pm.The children that lost their lives included Chichi (8), Chidiebere (5) and Kelechi (2). They were burnt beyond recognition while neighbors, who could have helped to save them were concerned with saving their personal properties rather than risk their lives to rescue the innocent children.The charred remains of the three children had been taken away to the mortuary when The Guardian visited the scene of the fire outbreak.Sympathizers, who thronged the compound, could not understand how a fire incidence that claimed the lives of children and gutted the properties of the Ahabuike occurred. More baffling is why the neighbors refused to hearken to the painful cries of the little children at least to make effort to even break the wall to rescue them. Could this be a case of enmity taken too far'The Father of the deceased children, Emeka Ahabuike, who spoke to The Guardian at the compound, where the incidence took place, said his wife and himself were not at home during the fire outbreak, adding that he received a phone call at about 8.21pm and on rushing home, he only met the charred remains of his beloved children.Ahabuike, who hails from Isuikwuato, Ovim in Abia State, said that he didn't know the source of the fire that killed his children, saying that in his house, he does not allow the use of candle or any other thing that can cause fire.Amid sobs he said: 'The late Chichi (daughter to my wife's sister) came to live with us after her mother died on 28th August 2011, Cidiebere and Kelechi are our biological children. They are so dear to us that we struggle to take care of them.'He revealed that he runs a fast food joint at Rafinsanyi area of Dutse while his wife, Ngozi, works as a receptionist at Rozy Guest House, very close to their residence.According to him, 'After school, the children usually stay with me in my fast food joint till around 8pm when their mother will close from her work and would come and take them home, but because of the prevailing cold weather, we sent them home by 5.45pm on that fateful day and not up to two hours later the children were consumed in flames.'On the attitude of his neighbors, he said it was inhuman, adding that he could not recall any outstanding dispute with his neighbours that could have made them to be wicked to him to that extent. 'One broke a part of his wall to gain entry to carry his properties while another young man picked his television.'Nduka Ahabuike, elder brother to Emeka, said it is strange that neighbors could stay aloof and watch tragedy befall a fellow human being, adding that tragedy is not reserved for any particular family but can happen to anyone.'It is unfortunate that in a compound of about ten tenants none of them could assist, it is not possible for those at home to say they did not perceive the smell of burning cloths or hear cries of these children to come to their aid,' he said.The mother of the late children, who has been in mourning mood and currently being hosted by the wife of her employer, said that she bathed the children and took them to the husband's shop but that in the evening, because of the cold weather, they were taken home and in less than two hours later she received a call that her house was on fire.'I rushed back home, only to behold my room on fire burning and my children had been consumed.'An eyewitness, who did not want his name in prints, said the Ahabuikes have been at logger heads with their neighbors hence when the incidence happened, they only rushed to salvage their own property from the burning building and refused to attend to the children.According to him, by the time the fire service men came to save the situation the damage had been done.The police spokesperson, ASP Abdul Jijinri, when contacted, said the police was aware of the incidence, adding that they deployed their operatives to the compound around 8.00pm, and that they suspected that the fire outbreak might have emanated from a candle light the children may have been using as source of illumination since there was no electricity at the time of the fire outbreak.The landlord of the House, Alhaji Dalha Yusuf, said only God knows how the fire broke out since it occurred late in the evening, adding that what happened should be seen as an act of God.Cleric, Catholic Lawyers Decry Removal Of Fuel SubsidyFrom Lemmy Ughegbe, AbujaA Cleric, Reverend Father Cajetan Okoli and the National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL), Abuja Branch, have decried attempts by the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy, warning that it would visit untold hardship on the already suffering Nigerian masses.Speaking at the special church session to mark the commencement of the new legal year for Catholic lawyers, Reverend Father Okoli, who is also a member of NACL, advised government to focus on creating jobs and putting in place workable welfare scheme that would ameliorate the plight of the teeming poor and unemployed citizenry.'I am deeply concerned about the lack of focus of government. Our leaders must think about the common good of the people. Our people are suffering and government cannot afford to aggravate the hardship by removing the subsidy from fuel. We produce this product; why should we suffer for it,' the Cleric lamented.Firm Fetes Trade PartnersIn continuation of its 10th Anniversary of La Casera in Nigeria and the launch of the new 'Ice Feel' bottle for the brand, Classic Beverages Nigeria Limited (CBNL) makers of La Casera hosted its trade partners in Port Harcourt recently.Speaking at the event, the Chief Operating Officer of the firm, Mr. Prahlad Gangadharan said that holding the anniversary with the trade partners from one city to another is the company's way of demonstrating how valuable the trade partners are to the business.He described the new 'Ice Feel' bottle for La Casera as a trailblazer and another remarkable milestone in the CSD sector in Nigeria having pioneered the PET bottle in 2001.By Abraham Oladipu, Port HarcourtGroup Sets to EmpowerIndigent Rural DwellersAn International Donor Organisation, Community Social Humanitarian Project, (COSHUP), says it is set to take development to the rural areas of Nigeria.Head of Media of the Organisation, Walter Duru, disclosed this during a chat with newsmen in Abuja, at the weekend.Duru, who described COSHUP as an Interventionist Organisation, working with the rural dwellers as partners, explained that its primary concern is the development of the rural areas in Nigeria.Inferno Guts Timber MarketFrom Njadvara Musa, MaiduguriThe Baga Road Timber Market in Maiduguri metropolis of Borno State, has been gutted by fire, destroying tens of thousands planks of wood, ceiling boards, cutting and designing machines worth millions of naira.The inferno, which broke out at 11am yesterday, lasted for over two hours before men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and fire servicemen put it off.Chairman of the timber traders' association, Mr. Aguolu Emmanuel, described the incident as 'unfortunate and painful' to his members that will be out of business for the next six months or more.
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