Property worth millions of Naira were, on Wednesday, destroyed by fire at the New Layout Market in Borokiri, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The fire, according to an eyewitness, which began at about 6.30am, razed first and second sections of the modern market.
Operatives of the Rivers State Fire Service and Good Samaritans residing within the area had to put out the fire before it could spread to other blocks of the market.
Though the cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained, a member of the management committee of the market, blamed the incident on sabotage.
The market committee member, who preferred not to be mentioned, stated that the fire began few minutes after light was restored by Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company.
Policemen from Borokiri Police Division were, however, well positioned to stop criminals who planned to take advantage of the situation to loot traders’ shops from gaining entrance into the complex.
Traders who sell clothes were said to be mostly affected as the inferno destroyed most of their materials, which were bought for the Yuletide.
Reacting, the State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Dickson Umunnakwe, expressed sadness over the fire outbreak and sympathized with those who lost their property to the inferno.
“I visited the market to observe the level of damage. The state government will soon set up an investigative panel to look into the causes of the incident,” Umunnakwe said.
