The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed that the deaths of Mr. George Obasi and Mrs. Chioma Obasi, who passed away in Abakaliki recently, were caused by a gas explosion at their home.
State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joshua Ukandu, addressed the incident, saying that the initial investigation suggested a gas explosion, not a bomb or inverter explosion as some had speculated.
“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 explained.
Chioma, the sister of popular Nigerian singer Patoranking, and her husband George suffered serious injuries from the explosion. After the blast, neighbors rushed the couple to an undisclosed hospital in Abakaliki, where they were receiving treatment. Chioma died five days after the incident, and George passed away the following day.
The couple left behind a three-year-old son, who was reportedly upstairs watching cartoons on his father’s phone when the explosion happened.
There have been many conflicting accounts on social media about the cause of the explosion. Some claimed it was caused by an inverter battery, others alleged it was a gas explosion, while a third group speculated it was a dynamite planted by enemies.
A neighbor who witnessed the aftermath of the explosion shared his thoughts, suggesting it might have been a bomb. He said, “They were my neighbors. We only heard the sound of an 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 a 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.”
The police have not confirmed these speculations and are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
