A man in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria, is now counting his losses after his house was set ablaze yesterday by a neighbour.

The victim, Mallam Ibrahim Musa, said this was the third time his house located at number ZZ 8, Kigo Road, was being set on fire in the same manner in the past two years. He said the fire started around 9:30 a.m. News Express learnt that an 80-year-old woman who could barely walk and some children were rescued from being engulfed by the fire.

Speaking on his ordeal, Mallam Musa said: “This is the third time they are setting my house ablaze from a refuse dump right by the wall of my house.

“They normally pile up refuse by the wall of my house and set it on fire. My house was in the past set ablaze from the refuse fire last year and two years ago.

“But this time around, I will not agree, they have to repair the house and pay for the loss of money and property worth N2 million in this fire.”

When our correspondent visited the premises from which the fire originated, a burnt refuse dump was found at an angle from the wall where the fire was alleged to have started inside a tenancy house number ZZ 15, Ibadan Street.

The Kaduna State Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Aminu Lawal, while confirming the incident said the police has already invited the suspected tenants and has commenced investigation into the remote cause of the fire.

The fire had caused pandemonium along Kigo Road close to the Kaduna North Local Government (KNLG) Secretariatalong Ahmadu Bello Way in Kaduna.

It took the intervention of the men of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency and a team of police officers who immediately cordoned off the area following rumour of the fire engulfed the KNLG secretariat.

•Photo: The burnt house.