The Ebonyi State Police Command yesterday said that the death of Mr George Obasi and Mrs Chioma Obasi, who died in Abakaliki a few days ago, was a result of a gas explosion that happened at their residence.
Speaking on the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, DSP Joshua Ukandu, said that contrary to speculations that the death of the couple was caused by a bomb or inverter explosion that happened at their residence, preliminary investigation by the police suggests a gas explosion.
“Preliminary investigation shows that it was a gas explosion. It is suspected that probably there was a gas leakage and they opened the door and maybe a small spark ignited it“, he said.
Meanwhile, there have been different accounts on social media regarding the cause of the deaths of Chioma and George.
Chioma is said to be a sister to the popular Nigerian singer, Patoranking. The couple were said to have suffered serious injuries from the explosion.
It was gathered that after the explosion, the couple were rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Abakaliki by neighbours where they have been receiving treatment.
Chioma was said to have died five days after the incident while the husband, George died yesterday according to sources close to the family.
The couple left behind a three-year-old son who was said to be upstairs watching cartoons with his father‘s phone when the explosion happened.
There have been conflicting reports on the cause of the explosion that led to the couple‘s death.
While some claimed it was an inverter battery explosion, others alleged that it was gas explosion while a third claim has said it was a dynamite planted by enemies of the couple.
A neighbour who spoke on the issue said that the blast could be a bomb explosion as almost everything on the ground floor of the building was damaged.
He said: „They were my neighbours. We only heard sound of explosion on Sunday afternoon. When we rushed to the compound smoke was coming out of the new building with all the electronics spoiled including the ceiling, doors and windows damaged with glasses.
„At first we thought it was gas cylinder explosion. It is not any inverter; it is only God who knows what was planted in that house. It sounded like a bomb.“
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