Three children have reportedly been killed in a midnight fire in a community (name withheld) in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The PUNCH gathered that the parents of the children were not at home when the incident happened.

While the father of the kids, who was said to be a musician, reportedly went to perform at an event, the mother reportedly eloped with a lover to a nearby hotel.

A resident, who preferred anonymity, said that the mother had locked the three children in a room and lit a candle before she left with the lover.

He said, “The woman is a teacher. She left with her lover to a nearby hotel that night.

“The three children were locked up in a room and they got burnt beyond recognition in the inferno believed to have been caused by a lit candle.

“The children were aged 5, 4 and 2 years respectively.

“She has been arrested by the police for investigation.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident in a statement.

He, however, did not say anything about the arrest but said the victims sustained varying degrees of burns and all died on the spot while property worth millions of Naira were destroyed.

He said, ” Following the distress call, Police patrol team led by the DPO rushed to the scene, cordoned off the area and the fire was put off by local volunteers before the arrival of firefighters.

“The victims were photographed and corpses buried, according to their customs.”

Mohammed said the Commissioner of Police in the state, John Abang, had ordered a discreet investigation into the matter to ascertain circumstances surrounding the incident.