Fire razes over 200 shops at Abakaliki Kpirikpiri market

Fire on Sunday razed over 200 shops in Ofoke Market popularly known as Kpirikpiri market, the second largest market in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.

The fire incident, which started by 2pm, destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

When our correspondent visited the market, traders whose shops were affected were crying uncontrollably.

The inferno was said to have reportedly cause by a fire set at a nearby bush.

Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace, Mr. Stanley Okoro Emegha and the Special Assistant (SA) to the Governor on Internal Security (South) Mr. Chika Nwangel who were at the scene of the fire when our Correspondent visited.

They described the inferno as a disaster.

Mr. Emegha said the fire service station in the state was informed of the fire so late that before they could come, it was too late to quench the fire.

He said their suspicion was that some people set bush around the market on fire left it or lost control of the fire hence it spread to the market.

He said it took swift intervention of Neighbourhood Watch, an internal security outfit and youths in the area to help stop the fire from razing down the whole market.

The Commissioner noted that the nature of buildings in the market did not help matters, noted that the state government would no doubt come up with measures to cushion the effect of the loss on the victims.

On his part, Nwangele said he had to forcefully leave his church service to mobilise the Neighbourhood Watch members, youths who aided in putting out the fire.

He said the quick response of the Commissioner, Emegha also helped in mobilisation of more youths as they had to resort to use of detergents to fight the fire.

He added that they had to ensure that thieves did not take advantage of the confusion to steal the secured goods.

Some of the victims could not even explain the situation as they wept profusely, but for Mr. John Nwoke who said that all his goods were lost to inferno, more so that he just bought new stocks three days ago.

Mrs. Ofoke Julian, another victim said it was the end of the road for her and her family which last year buried her husband, appealed to the state, federal government and other agencies to help them out of the situation.

She lamented that even the few goods they could secure from the fire were carted away by hoodlums.

She said it could have been Indian hemp smokers or those that burn the bush around the market to catch rats that cause the fire outbreak.

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