A woman identified as Esther Alison Ibiwari set fire to her house after she was allegedly beaten by her husband during a quarrel in Rumuolu community in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Though it was not clear what caused the problem, but an eyewitness said the couple had a heated argument on Tuesday.
The eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said the woman, in an apparent act of retaliation, went inside their apartment and set it on fire.
The eyewitness said the part of the building, which was destroyed by the fire, belonged to her husband, adding that the incident rendered some tenants homeless.
He said the fire caused pandemonium as some of the tenants who inside ran out and tried to salvage some of their properties but could not.
He said: “The man and his wife had a little issue yesterday which resulted in him beating the woman.
“He went in, wore his clothes and went out. So the woman went inside the house and brought out her own clothes outside. She then went to buy kerosene and set fire to the man’s clothes inside the house.
“That was how the fire started. It escalated and burnt down several rooms. Some of the apartments affected are occupied by tenants.
“Most of their properties were burnt. I believe some of them don’t have where to stay now. We don’t know the whereabouts of the woman. But I heard she has been arrested.
The spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying the woman has been arrested.
“Yes, I can confirm it. The woman has been arrested and the matter was transferred to the State Criminal and Investigation Department.
“And the investigation is ongoing,” she stated.