By Fasuyi Tolulope Samuel
The sister of Nigerian Afrobeat star Patoranking, Chioma Onuabuchi, and her husband, George Onuabuchi, were laid to rest in their hometown of Uburu, Ebonyi State, following a devastating gas explosion in their Abakaliki home.
The tragic incident, which left the couple’s newly built residence in ruins, occurred in September 2024 and remains under investigation.
Eyewitness accounts of the explosion vary. Some attributed the blast to a faulty gas cylinder, while others speculated it was caused by a solar inverter battery or an object deliberately planted in the compound.
A neighbor, Nwokporo Victor Uchechukwu, recounted the incident, saying, “It happened in my street. We only heard the sound of an explosion in the afternoon. When we rushed to the compound, smoke was coming out of the new building with all the electronics destroyed, including the ceiling, doors, and windows damaged with glasses.
At first, we thought it was a gas cylinder explosion, or maybe any inverter; only God knows what was implanted in that house. It sounded like a bomb.” he narrated.
DSP Joshua Ukandu, the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the explosion, stating, “There was an explosion in the house of the couple which caused them serious injuries, and they were taken to the hospital for treatment. The wife died first. She is the sister of Patoranking. Her husband now died yesterday, September 11, 2024.”
The police have yet to confirm the exact cause of the explosion, with Ukandu noting, “Investigation is ongoing. I will have to call our people investigating it to find out what they have on the preliminary finding.”
The Onuabuchis leave behind a three-year-old son, who was fortunately with his grandmother at the time of the explosion. Their tragic deaths have drawn condolences and raised questions about home safety in the wake of this catastrophic incident.
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