MONROVIA – Caldwell was struck with a tragedy early Monday. A family that once grieved the loss of their daughter, Angel Togba, whose death was mixed in an allegation of suicide, rape and murder, was wiped out in a blazing fire.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
The Angel Togba’s family, including her mother, Cecilia Togba and three of her children including a two-year-old were charred by the fire.
The cause of the fire remains unestablished.
Angel Togba was discovered dead in February 2008 hanging on the shower curtain rail in what appeared to be suicide. It was, however, alleged that she was sexually abused and then killed before she was hung. Her guardians, Mr. Hans Williams and his wife, Mardea P. Williams were held as the prime suspects. The lower court found them guilty in 2010 f as per the indictment and sentenced them to death by hanging. However, in 2014, the Supreme Court reversed the conviction and the death sentence.
Mother, Siblings Join Her
Eyewitnesses say the fire started in the living room of the house, the family were trapped within and started calling for help. One witness shared, “When we heard the commotion in the early hours, we initially thought it was a robbery. However, upon stepping outside, we were met with a raging fire that consumed the entire house, making it impossible to rescue them due to the fire blocking the entrance.”
Residents of the area expressed deep sadness over the Togba family’s tragic loss. Musu, a local resident, tearfully remarked, “Detecting the cause of this fire is extremely challenging; it’s unclear whether electrical appliances or other factors in the room played a role.”
Moses Mulbah, another eyewitness, stated that he heard the victims calling for help from his own house, but by the time he arrived at the scene, the house had already been engulfed in flames. “There was nothing anyone could do to extinguish the blazing fire,” he added.
Wellington Glidden, a resident of the township, offered his condolences to the bereaved family and the Church of Christ congregation, where the late Mrs. Togba used to worship, emphasizing that the tragedy had left them all deeply saddened.
Reacting to the incident, Montserrado County District #15 Representative Abu Bana Kamara expressed his sorrow and urged the family to accept the tragedy as God’s will. He called for improved safety measures in the future and stated that the authorities would investigate the incident further.
Henry O. Williams, Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), visited the scene to offer condolences and described the tragedy as extremely heart-wrenching. He assured the family that the government was aware of the situation and would provide support.
Furthermore, Madam Grace Kpaan, the vice standard bearer of the Liberia National Union (LNU), and other compassionate citizens of Caldwell Township also visited the scene to pay their respects to the grieving family.
