A Kaduna based pensioner, Musa Aga, has shocked his neighbours in the Gonin-Gora area of popular LEA Primary School in Kaduna by burning down his two-bedroom flat to prevent his estranged wife, with whom he had been separated for over 20 years, from returning to live with him.

His children, who had insisted on their mother returning to live with their father despite Musa’s insistence to the contrary, had forcefully broken into the house through the roof to bring back into the house, the former Mrs Aga’s belongings.

Musa, who had retired from Kaduna State Ministry of Rural and Community Development in 2015, is from Kagoro in the Southern part of Kaduna State.

Narrating the reason why he burnt down his house, Musa said, “I divorced my wife for about 20 years now. But now the children are forcing me to stay with their mother. But I said no because when the elders and pastors of our church pleaded with her to come back to me she had earlier said no.

“But now she said she wants to come back to me. I also said no but the children are forcing me saying that their mother must stay with me. They brought her and her property to meet me at my house. They removed the roof and the ceiling to enter my house. That’s why I was annoyed and I didn’t like it, so I set my house on fire. This is the match box, that I used. So let bygones be bygones.”

Asked if the house was built from his gratuity, he said, “Yes, it was from my gratuity. But because of the annoyance with my family, I decided to burn it down. Let bygones be bygones.

When asked if the children will not feel bad about his actions he said, “Yes, I want them to feel it that’s why I did it. They want to force me to stay with their mother but I don’t want to. They said it is their father’s house, but now their father’s house is no more there. Do you see why I burnt it?

Musa when said that such actions are very rare with people of his age who normally would want to keep legacy for their children to inherit, when they are no more, he said, “Yes but when they are not good you don’t keep anything for them, except if they are good and they listen to you. They are not good.

“If they are good can they force their father to stay with their mother like that? I trained them for them to look after me when I grow old but now they are treating me badly.

Efforts by the neighborhood to put out the inferno failed as the fire was fuelled by the powerful harmattan breeze.

The breeze heightened the fear of close neighbors that their houses might be affected, hence they concentrated and controlled it against spreading.

While some were battling to control the fire, emergency local youthful village scavengers were busy gathering burnt zincs, metal and iron scraps, even as some were onlookers, some commentators, some wailers.

One of the daughters was crying because of her credentials and according to insiders, they didn’t envisage the setting of the house on fire.

It was also learnt that one of the daughters was alleged to have insisted that the father must accept her dowry even though he didn’t accept the dowry of the other daughters, therefore their mother must return to their father’s house and accept her dowry.

Sources told SATURDAY INDEPENDENT that a woman In her 40s was overheard saying that the ex-wife was allegedly flirting since she knew Musa was struggling to build the house and was living in rented apartment for many years.