The Nation Newspaper

Tag: market fire

  • Goods worth over N1b destroyed in Onitsha market fire 

    Goods worth over N1b destroyed in Onitsha market fire 

    Goods worth over N1billion were destroyed yesterday in Onitsha as fire gutted the Polythene Producers Industrial Cluster.

    The cluster is located near Ekene Workshop,between Awada and the commercial city of Onitsha

    Victims were seen at the scene of the fire folding their arms and bemoaning their fate.

    Chairmen of the clusters Anthony Ubakasi and Johnson Okolo attributed the fire to epileptic power supply by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

    They lamented the lack of space for them to operate in separate warehouses/factories as over 20 Small Scale Industries were operating in a warehouse with multiple machines.

    Ubakasi said some of the affected small scale industry operators would have saved some of their machines, goods and raw materials if they were on doing night duties.

    “But unfortunately EEDC is giving them two hours light in the night and they stopped night duties because, the time is not even enough for their machine to heat for production”

    Okolo blamed the EEDC and the government for not recognising their contribution towards industrialisation and reduction of unemployment.

    They appealed to Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano to pay them a visit to see things for himself, having failed to visit them in February 2017, when similar incident occurred .

    One of the victims Chuks Eze said he lost nine Side Sealing Cutting machines, worth N1.5 million each, one Compressor, worth about N300,000, two Bottom Sealing Machines one N12 million among others.

    Another victim Ikechukwu Emehige said he lost four Cutting machines, worth N900,000, each, a 40 Horse Power Electric Motor, worth about N1,9 million, three Air blower each worth N600, 000, one Compressor worth among others too.

    Paul Agadinulo lost Printing machine he bought N8 million and installed in September 2017, and lost IPA, Butternol, rolls of BOPP, more that 50 Rubber Stereos and gallons of ink worth more than N13 million.

    The only woman victim, Eunice Onuora, said she lost to the inferno, two Bottom Sealing Machines worth N10 million, three Side Sealing machines worth N1.9 million, a Cutting machine worth N1.7 million and others

  • 600 lives, goods worth N5tr lost to market fire, says fire service’s boss

    FROM January 2015 and March 2016, traders in some Nigerian markets lost a total of 600 lives and property valued at N5.30 trillion to market fires.

    This include N2.0 trillion worth of goods loss in the Kano fire, 3,800 market shops and 3,800 livelihood of bread winners and owners of the affected shops at the Kano fire disaster.

    Federal Fire Service (FFS) Controller General (CG) Anebi Garba gave the figures when he visited the Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in Government House over the week.

    He visited the state to commiserate with the government, people and traders over a devastating fire incident at Abubakar Rimi Sabon-Gari market.

    According to a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of FFS, Elechi Collins, the losses recorded arise from a study carried out by FFS.

    He noted absence of functional firefighting equipment, fire station, fire hydrants, water source dedicated for firefighting, illegal structures, improper housekeeping, people taking up residence in the markets and flagrant use of electronic generating sets, among others, as factors responsible for the high number of fire cases.

    He called on residents to support government efforts driven by the Minister of Interior Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) towards finding solutions to the incessant fire outbreaks in markets.

  • Oyo sets up panel on market fire

    The Oyo State government has set up a panel of enquiry on the two fire incidents in Alaro Plank Market, Sango, Ibadan, the state capital.

    A Christmas Day fire razed 200 shops. Machines and planks worth over N500 million were destroyed.

    Another fire engulfed the market on Monday morning, razing about 300 shops and equipment worth hundreds of millions of naira.

    Solicitor-General Mr Wasiu Gbadegesin chairs the six-man panel while the secretary is Director of Administration and Supplies in the Governor’s Office Mr. Paul Oyekunle.

    Other members are the Permanent Secretary, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Lekan Busari; Permanent Secretary, Land, Housing & Survey, Mr. Babatunde Ladipo; Acting Permanent Secretary, Environment and Habitat, Mr. M. J. Akinlabi and Director, Fire Services, Mr. Kareem Oyekunle.

    It has two weeks to submit its report.

    A statement from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government said: “Stakeholders are enjoined to either submit memoranda or make recommendations to the panel to facilitate the execution of its task.”

  • Property worth millions gone in market fire

    Property worth millions gone in market fire

    Goods worth millions of naira were yesterday destroyed by fire in Sabo market at Ikorodu. The inferno started around 1:25am.

    The cause of the fire could not be ascertained, but speculations were rife that it was caused by a spark from a chemical shop following restoration of light around midnight.

    The Nation learnt that there had been power outage for almost a week.

    Officials of Lagos State Environmental Management Agency (LASEMA); Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Lagos State fire fighters and the Nigerian Police were at the scene.

    Assistant Chief Fire Superintendent (ACFS) of the Ikorodu Fire Station Olatunji Bravo said: “The fire started around 1:25am, we got the information from a distress call made by residents. We arrived four minutes after we received the call. The fire affected almost 35 shops and we were able to rescue about eight shops”.

    A trader said she was told of the fire by her friends.

    She said those around when the fire started claimed that it was caused by electrical surge from a chemical shop.

    “The sympathisers had been helping to recover the goods before I arrived. I have four shops and all the shops were affected and the goods worth N3 million were lost to the inferno”.

    A representative from Detop Link Nigeria Limited said: “Our store house in the market was affected by the fire but we were able to recover little goods from the other shops.”

    When asked about the worth of goods, he said: “I can’t quantify the worth of goods in the market but that will be done when we get to the main office to do the calculations”.

    The Iyaloja-General of Ikorodu Division, Alhaja Taofeekat Allison, said: “We heard that it was from a chemical shop. I got a call from the security men in the market about the fire. The fire fighters made a call to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) because they claimed that the cause was an electrical surge and they needed to disconnect the electricity so as to prevent further damages. We really appreciate the fire fighters for their quick intervention”.

    An animal feeds distributor’s shops were gutted. The owner said all his feeds including his machines were destroyed.

  • Millions gone in Ogbe-Ijoh market fire

    A fire on Saturday night destroyed goods and other property worth millions of naira at the popular Ogbe-Ijoh Market in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

    The cause of the fire had not been ascertained last night, but our reporter recalled a similar incident recently at the market.

    It was gathered that the fire started at 8 pm and spread quickly because fire fighters did not arrive early.

    Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was in Warri at the time, rushed to the scene and instructed the state Fire Service Department to tackle the fire.

    Our reporter, who visited the scene yesterday, said burnt goods, including edibles, littered the place.

    The victims were lamenting and crying over the loss of the source of their livelihood.

    One of the traders, who gave her name as Patience, said she lost over 150 bags of crayfish, at 50,000 per bag.

    Another trader, Madam Maria, said the fish she lost was worth about N1 million.

    A section of the market was razed earlier this year.

    Among other things, a Skill Acquisition Centre at the market, lost its equipment in an earlier fire.

    Although nobody died in the incident, some residents described it as “wanton destruction”.

    The Regent of Ogbe-Ijoh, Chief Samson Mamamu, said he suspected a foul play.

    Also, an activist, Comrade Austin Ozobo, described the fire as an unnecessary destruction of the people’s livelihood.

  • Millions gone in Sokoto market fire

    Property worth millions of naira were destroyed on Tuesday night when fire razed 11 shops at Sokoto Central Market.

    The fire was still burning yesterday when our reporter visited the market.

    It was learnt that the fire was the second in nine years at the market. The first was in 2006.

    Last Tuesday’s fire, which started around midnight, could not be put out until 3am on Wednesday, despite the combined efforts of firemen from the state fire service, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the police, some traders and nearby residents.

    A fireman, Mamman Dan-Tullo, spoke with our reporter on the incident.

    He said: “There was no electricity supply from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) when the fire started. But investigation will reveal the likely cause of the fire.

    “But nobody died in the fire. There was no injury; only the heavy losses incurred by the affected traders.”

    One of the affected traders, Abubakar Murtala, said he lost cosmetics, foodstuffs, detergent and cash, to the fire.

    But he was happy that nobody died in the fire.

    Murtala said: “We have been taken back again because we lost all we had laboured in the first fire about two decades ago.”

    Another victim, Alhaji Aminu Maisuga, urged the government and public-spirited individuals to come to their aid.

    He said: “We want assistance in cash to restart our businesses. We are appealing to the state government to immediately renovate the burnt shops.”

    A worker in market, Alhaji Bashiru Isa, said the management would write a report on the incident to the government.

    He said: “The state government will surely rehabilitate the burnt shops. It will also give necessary financial assistance to the victims.”

    NSCDC’s State Commandant Yusha’u Yamel promised that his officers would continue to guard the affected the section of the market to prevent looting.

  • Millions gone in Port Harcourt market fire

    Millions gone in Port Harcourt market fire

    Goods worth millions of naira were destroyed in a fire at the new Layout Market in Borikiri, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Tuesday night.

    The fire reportedly started in one of the shops at 7pm and spread for about two hours to several others.

    Men of the state fire service battled for several minutes before they put out the fire.

    Eighty shops, which were stocked with assorted goods, were destroyed.

    When our reporter visited the scene yesterday, scores of sympathisers were consoling the victims, who were counting their losses.

    No life was lost in the fire.

    One of the traders, Kachi Nwoke, told our reporter that he had stocked his shop with assorted drinks in the afternoon and the fire occurred in the evening. The businessman said he lost goods worth over N3 million.

    Nwoke said: “I did not know what happened. I had closed for the day and left before I received a call that there was a fire in the market. Before I could get to here, the fire had taken over the area. There was no way to enter. So, I was unable to save anything.”

    A woman was said to have, besides her wares, lost N1 million cash to the fire.

    Other victims had sad tales to tell.

    Most of the victims had just bought goods for Christmas. They were unable to retrieve any item from their shops. Others lost valuables to hoodlums, who posed as good Samaritans.

    The chairman of the traders and the government officer at the market, Robbinson Charles, told our reporter on phone that the incident was unfortunate. He suspected that an electrical fault might have caused the fire. But other traders alleged sabotage.

    Charles said the market was equipped with modern facilities, including a fire service and an alarm station, a bore hole, among others, to prevent such incidents.

    Charles said there was the challenge of personnel to operate the equipment.

    Charles said: “It is an ultra-modern market with a health centre, a bank and other facilities. But none of these is functional because there are no personnel. Besides, it is the responsibility of the government to employ the personnel to operate the system.

    “Though the cause of the inferno is still being investigated, but security reports from the market said the fire started from one of the shops when power was restored by the Port Harcourt Distribution Company (PHDC) after the traders had closed for business that day.

    “The commissioner for Special Duties, Dickson Umunnakwe; the Mayor of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area and the lawmaker representing Port Harcourt in the House of Assembly, where the market is located, visited the scene this morning (yesterday). I have appealed to them and, by the character of our responsible Governor Chibuike Amaechi, I believe something will be done to alleviate the hardship the unfortunate incident has put the families of the traders into, especially at this festive season.

    “I have also appealed to them to plead with the governor to ensure personnel are employed to forestall a recurrence.”

    The market was built two years ago by the Amaechi administration.

  • Market fire: Ajimobi gives N10m to traders

    Market fire: Ajimobi gives N10m to traders

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has disbursed N10 million to traders of Aleshinloye Market, Ibadan, whose shops were gutted by fire recently.

    Ajimobi, while presenting the cheques to the traders at the weekend, said the gesture was in fulfillment of his earlier promise to assist the affected traders to cushion the effect of the losses they suffered during the inferno.

    He praised the traders for their contributions to the state’s socio-economic development, adding that his administration would not relent in its efforts at ensuring people’s improved living condition.

    The governor said his administration had earmarked N300 million as interest-loans to assist traders, while markets had been provided for the traders who were removed from the streets.

    He called on politicians to desist from engaging in campaign of calumny, politics of deceit, character assassination and violence.

    Ajimobi urged the traders to continue to support the urban renewal programme of his administration and to continue to sustain the state’s existing peace, reminding them that meaningful development could only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace.

  • Millions of naira, properties lost in market fire

    A FIRE broke out at the popular Kara market in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State on wednesday, destroying cash and properties worth several millions of naira.

    Efforts by members of the community to battle the fire failed as it spread from one structure to another, leaving in its trail, pains of loss of properties and cash. No life was lost.

    The fire began around 7.45 pm on that day, but the Kara community leader, Alh. Mohammed Gbadamosi, urged the state government to rehabilitate the victims.

    According to Gbadamosi, the number of victims, value of goods damaged and the cause of the incident could not be ascertained.

    The South West Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management (NEMA), Mr. Iyiola Akande, who visited the scene to assess the extent of damage, said it would have been avoided if approval was sought by Kara residents before erecting structures. He urged them to be security-conscious.

    Also, Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, who led government delegation to the community yesterday, said it was a thing of joy that no life was lost.

    Adeoluwa urged prospective property developers to always obtain necessary approvals from relevant government agencies before embarking on construction to avoid such incidents.

    He said the state government would proffer palliative measures to cushion the effect of the loss.

    He said: “We thank God that no life was lost. We are here to commiserate with you and also to assess the level of damage done by the fire. Apparently, these are shanties built without government approval and we are not happy about the development.

    “But as a responsive government, we will stand by you during this period. We will do something in the meantime to assist those affected after consultations with your leaders, but we also need to investigate the cause of the fire.”