Easter fire ravages 3 states

It was a weekend of tears and sorrow for some families, including sex workers, when fire wreaked havoc in Bayelsa, Sokoto and Jigawa states, as people prepared for Easter.

The fire destroyed buildings and foodstuffs worth millions of Naira.

In Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, two separate fires that happened between Friday and Saturday  destroyed properties worth millions of aira.

The first incident occurred on Friday night at  Amarata, near the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Vanguard newspapers offices, while the second occurred early Saturday in Ovom.

The houses gutted were all wooden structures  and the occupants, mainly commercial sex workers.

Miss Joy Onuh, a resident in the area, explained that the fire started from a locked room.

“We do not know  how the fire started and wither it would spread as we thought that it was just an ordinary smoke until it got out of hand. But we appreciate the  efforts of the state fire fighters in putting it out, though they arrived late,” she said.

Jully Bobby, who lost money, clothes and mobile phone to the fire, sobbed uncontrollably as she recounted her losses.

At Imgbi Road, Amarata, where the second fire happened,  a car and shops were destroyed. The fire was believed to have been sparked by adulterated fuel and kerosene loaded in the car.

“It would have been a disaster if not for the help of the fire service. The car was fully loaded with fuel,” a female resident said.

Mr Prince Ogun, station driver, Bayelsa Fire Service Command, urged the people to promptly call the fire service  when they have an emergency.

Similarly, fire destroyed goods worth millions of Naira at a section of the Sokoto Old Market. Shops containing assorted food stuff, cooking oil, detergents and other household items were consumed by fire.

The Head of Operations, Sokoto State Fire Service, Mr Mustapha Mohammed, told NAN that the inferno started at around 9.00 p.m. on Friday, but the fire fighters were able to put it out with the assistance of the affected traders and other Samaritans.

Though no life was lost, a fireman suffered a dislocation in his right leg.

“The cause of the fire is not yet known, but there was no public power supply when the inferno started,” he said.

Mohammad Chika, one of the affected traders, called for assistance to enable the traders recoup their losses.

”We are appealing for an urgent support from the state and Federal Government, as well as other well-meaning Nigerians,” he stated.

Also in Jigawa State, farm produce worth millions of Naira were destroyed by a fire at Dangwaleri village of Birniwa Local Government council of the state.

The fire, which occurred on Friday around 3:30am, destroyed 10 silos of grains.

Malam Yahaya Muhammad, the ward head in the area, said the fire destroyed millet and sorghum.

“The fire destroyed the silos within a short time due to its magnitude. No life was lost, but we have nothing left to feed our families,” he said.

According to him, the food items in the stores were preserved by the villagers for their households.

Muhammad said the inferno started from one of the silos and engulfed the remaining.