Properties worth millions of naira have been gutted by fire at Ojoto market in Azikiwe area of Mile 2, Diobu, Port-Harcourt.
The incident happened at about 9 o’clock in the night of Thursday, April 13, 2023.
The cause of the inferno could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.
Chairman of the market, Arinze Akupue, who spoke on the market fire, said he was not there when the fire started, but said he was informed of the fire by security men in the market at about 10:00 in the night.
“I was in the house at about a few minutes to 10pm when security personnel in the market called to inform me that they saw that flame was coming out from the market.
“I quickly called some people around the market to assist to quench the fire while I drove to the state fire service for assistance; but they said that I should contact the Federal Fire Service Department, which I did and I got immediate response from them.”
On arriving at the market, he noted that it had already burnt up to 85 per cent, but regretted that, ‘hoodlums’ at a point attacked the personnel of the fire service in order to create an atmosphere in which they could loot .
“It took the intervention of officers from Azikiwe Divisional Police headquarters to rescue the personnel of the fire service from the hoodlums.”
Akupue said over 200 shops were razed with no goods saved.