A journalist with The Guardian, Oludare Richards, has lost all his possessions in a fire outbreak at his apartment in the Mpape community, Abuja.
The fire, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, also claimed the life of a 19-year-old boy and destroyed properties in two apartments and a pharmaceutical shop.
The journalist and members of his family were not at home when the fire broke out, Northern City News learnt.
Richards’ apartment and the one occupied by the landlady were completely gutted by the inferno.
The reporter said the landlady and three of her five children had gone out, leaving two other children at home, one of who was physically challenged due to an accident he survived some years ago.
The boy was said to have been burnt beyond recognition by the fire. His remains were subsequently evacuated to the mortuary by neighbours, who assisted in putting out the fire.
According to eyewitness accounts, the landlady’s teenage daughter, who was home with the deceased, had left a pot cooking on a burner and went to the market.
The house reportedly went up in flames shortly after she left the building.
But the girl reportedly denied leaving the gas burner on when accosted by neighbours after the incident.
When asked about the compensation for his loss, Richards said, “Loss was borne by every tenant in the building. While the landlady lost her son and properties, I also lost properties, including several years of working documents, records and materials to the fire.”