The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed that Chioma Obasi, sister of renowned Afrobeats singer Patoranking, and her husband, George Obasi, died in a gas explosion at their Abakaliki residence.
The police clarification came in response to speculative social media reports suggesting alternative causes, including an inverter malfunction or dynamite.
Preliminary investigations revealed that a gas leak triggered the fatal explosion, dispelling earlier rumors.
The police statement aimed to set the record straight and provide accurate information regarding the tragic incident.
The explosion, which recently occurred at the couple's residence, left them with severe injuries.
Neighbours rushed them to an undisclosed hospital in Abakaliki, where they received treatment. However, Chioma succumbed to her injuries five days later while her husband, George, died the following day, according to a family source.
The couple is survived by their three-year-old son, who was upstairs when the explosion occurred, Leadership reports.
Since the incident, conflicting reports have emerged about the cause of the blast. Some claimed it was due to an inverter battery explosion, while others pointed to a gas explosion.
A third theory, which gained traction on social media, suggested that the couple may have been targeted with dynamite, especially after recently celebrating the completion of their new mansion, raising suspicions of foul play.
A neighbour said the explosion felt like a bomb blast due to the extensive damage to the ground floor of the building.
"We heard a loud explosion on Sunday afternoon,” Leadership quoted the neighbour as saying. “Smoke was coming from the house, and everything on the ground floor, including electronics, windows, doors, and the ceiling, was destroyed. It sounded more like a bomb than a gas explosion.
However, the state police have dismissed claims of a bomb or inverter explosion, confirming that it was a gas explosion.
The police spokesperson in the state, Joshua Ukandu, said, “Preliminary investigations indicate that a gas leak likely occurred, and when the door was opened, a spark might have ignited the explosion.”