Abure’s House Gutted By ‘Mysterious’ Fire, Says Labour Party

The Labour Party on Wednesday said its National Chairman, Julius Abure, escaped assassination attempt on him at his Abuja residence early in the day.

“His residence was also gutted by a mysterious fire which started a few minutes after 1AM while Abure and the members of his family were asleep,” a statement by the Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, read in part.

Mr Ifoh added, “A member of the family who narrated the incidence, the family was woken up by neighbours and security men living in the compound who raised the alarm.

“The entire family were trapped as the inferno had reached the staircase making it impossible for Abure and family to escape.”

However, Abure and his family were able to escape the flames thanks to the effort of neighbours and security men  who “gallantly pulled down one of the windows upstairs making ways for the family to escape”.

After escaping from the fire, thanks to what the party described as “divine intervention”, Abure and his family were rushed to a private hospital where they are presently receiving treatment, with their condition reported to be stable.

Officials of the Fire Service were said to have arrived shortly after he and his family were evacuated.

Abure and his leadership of the Labour Party has been the subject of controversy and opposition in recent weeks with the Nigeria Labour Congress asking for his resignation and picketing the party’s offices to push for his exit.

He, however, rebuffed the NLC’s demand and was re-elected as Labour Party chairman on March 27 at a congress held in Anambra State, despite the strong opposition of the NLC.

The NLC has rejected the congress and had pushed for it to be cancelled.