Several Shops, Property Worth Millions Burnt In Ebonyi Mechanic Village Fire

Fire (File Photo)

Fire Destroy Goods In Ebonyi Market

An early morning fire, which started about 5:00am yesterday, has reportedly affected up to 15 shops and 10 vehicles at the Mechanic Village, Abakaliki, in Ebonyi State.

The cause of the fire outbreak is still unclear as at press time but allegations in certain quarters linked the inferno to the leadership crisis rocking the market.

Naija News earlier reported on the ongoing leadership tussle in the market.

Mr. Christian Enwerem, a victim, said his shop which contained some equipment, including calibrating machine worth N3 million, motor parts and items belonging to his clients was affected.

“I was in my house at about 7:00a.m. this morning when somebody called and asked me to come to shop immediately. He said everywhere was on fire and our workshop has burnt to ashes.
“When I arrived, I discovered that my workshop has been razed. We don’t have electricity here. My injector calibrator machine and motor components spare parts inside the shop were gutted by fire,” he lamented.

Caretaker Chairman of Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) in the market, Chidiebere Uzo, alleged that it was masterminded by enemies of the mechanic village.

“I was in my house this morning when I received a call from one of the security men that there was fire in the mechanic village. I engaged many security men to be guarding the mechanic village, but the crisis we had last Friday stopped them from coming here again. So, some of them called at about 5:30a.m. and said the place was on fire.

“I had to drive to the mechanic village and rushed to the fire service office to alerted them. Before we could get to the scene, vehicles have been burnt to ashes, and shops have also been burnt.

“But, I must tell you that the fire is suspicious. There are four burnt tires in four different locations where the fire emanated from. It is not an ordinary fire. It is a planned deal and I wonder what the person who did it will benefit from it. Soon, they will be fished out because they cannot succeed, no matter the way they planned it,” Uzo said.

Reacting to the development, Police spokesperson in the state, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident, but denied the allegation that the fire was masterminded by some traders in the market.

She disclosed that preliminary investigations showed that the fire might have been caused by phone batteries connected to the electricity in one of the shops.