Tragedy struck Okochiri Community in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State in the early hours of Friday, September 18, 2026, when a mother and her four children were reportedly burnt to death in a fire that engulfed their home.
The fire was reportedly put out through the efforts of youths in the community.
Sources claimed that the fire may have been caused by petrol that was ignited by a spark. However, the cause of the incident had not been independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview, Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika, Igwe Godswill, said details surrounding the incident remained sketchy.
He said, “We just heard the news this morning about the fire. There are no proper details as to what happened, but when we got there this morning, we saw that about four children and their mother, a total of five persons, were burnt and died.
“But the police had already arrived and taken proper details of what happened. It is so disheartening that this is happening again in our community.
“When we got there this morning, the fire had been put out, and the police had already come to the scene. I believe proper investigation will be carried out.”
Godswill said the police had visited the scene and taken details of the incident, expressing hope that a proper investigation would establish what led to the fire.
As of the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
