Traders in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State have called on the government and intervention bodies for support to rebuild the market and help them restart their businesses destroyed by the fire outbreak of Sunday 27, October 2024.
Our reporter who visited the site of the fire, reports that owners of affected shops claimed that the fire started from the shop of a co-business operator who is involved in magical acts.
Mr. Samuel Arindu, who sells mattresses, foot mats, rugs and other household items, said he received a call from a strange number that his shop was on fire. After initially ignoring the caller, whom he thought could be a prankster, Mr. Arindu said he narrated the information to his wife, who encouraged him to respond to the caller.
On reconfirming the fire, he took a Keke ride to the shop, where he met the fire still raging. He said they made effort to get water to quell the fire but could not get water anywhere around the market.
Men of the Nigeria Police Force, whose office is about few poles from the market offered water hose, but there was no water around to control or stop the fire.
Mr. Arindu said he felt helpless for not being able to quench the fire as it razed his goods worth millions of naira. He said he lost goods worth about N55 million.
He alleged that the fire started from the shop behind his, whose owner sold spiritual items and offered spiritual consultation. He said during consultations, Ordi, the spiritual shop owner lights candle and incense. Ordi ran the shop with his.
Arindu said the security man at the market, disclosed to them that the fire escalated to neighbors shop after an explosion from a cooking gas in Ordi’s shop.
Though Mr. Arindu said Ordi and his mother had been arrested by in the police, he was not interested the matter. “I don’t want problem with anybody, what has happened has happened, God knows why. Since I have not died after the fire incident on Sunday, I won’t die anytime soon. If government can help us, I will be happy.”
Another victim, Mr. Austin Patrick, who deals on garri, rice, beans and cooking spices, said he lost goods worth N15 million. He said he had just bought 48 bags of garri on the eve of the fire. He said after he received a call from a neighbor, he came down to the shop but arrived late to see his shop and goods already burnt.
Mr. Patrick said he has seven persons under his responsibility to provide for, his wife, two kids and four staff. He said he will not press charges, but requests for financial support to cushion the fire incident.
“For me I have left everything to God. I would like government to assist us in anyway no matter how little, at least for us to start life again.”
Mr. Ogbonda Wali, the landlord of three caravans that were destroyed by the fire, said that the matter was with the police and that the law will take its course. He said the security man told him that the fire began from the makeshift shrine behind Ordi’s shop.
Efforts to get the police at Aluu police station to comment on the matter proved abortive.
