Some firefighters have escaped lynching by victims and hoodlums, who were angry that they came after an inferno had completely destroyed over 200 shops in Rivers.
The fire was said to have engulfed the popularly Ojoto market in the Mile 2 area of Diobu in Port Harcourt on Thursday night destroying traders’ goods and properties worth millions.
It was gathered that when the incident started, the victims cried to the state fire service but could not get the desired response following logistic problems.
But when the team of the federal fire service eventually arrived the scene, hoodlums and victims attempted to lynch them but the police quickly dispatch patrol vans of operatives to rescue them.
A human rights activist, Prince Wiro, particularly commended the Police Public Relations Officer, SP. Grace Iringe-Koko for immediately contacting officers of the Azikiwe Divisional Police Headquarters, that came to the scene of the incident to rescue the firefighters.
“If not for the police, hoodlums would have lynched the federal fire service personnel, who came to the scene after the state fire service failed to respond to distress calls. The police rescued them and took them to their station”, he said.
Some eyewitnesses said the fire came from an electric spark when the public power supply was restored at night.
But others claimed attempts by some people to cook in the market might have ignited the fire.
An eyewitness, who spoke in confidence said: “There was no light that night. So as soon as light came. We saw an electric spark.
“They said some people were cooking inside the market. So, as soon as that electric spark happened, the fire started from that shop. Before you know it everywhere there was fire. All the shops burned down.”
The fire was said to have caused confusion in the area as some of the traders raced to th scene to see if they could salvage some of their goods.
The Chairman, Ojoto Market, Arinze Akupue said nothing was removed from the market, explaining that he was at home when a security man called him that the market was on fire.
Akupue said he called some people around the market to see what they could do to put out the fire and later drove to the state fire service to seek help.
He said at the state fire service, he was advised to go to the Federal Secretariat to inform the Federal fire service.
Akupue said he drove to the Federal Secretariat where the commander immediately mobilised to the scene.
He debunked claims that there were people storing petroleum products or cooking in the market and condemned the attack on the firefighters.
He said: “Nothing was removed from the market. The fire has nothing to do with somebody cooking. The market had closed and traders had gone home.
“It was a security operative who told me that there was fire in the market. I asked him which area he told me and immediately I started calling the state fire service.
“There was no response, so I had to drive down to their office. They told me they cannot do anything. In fact they directed me to the Federal Fire Service. I drove down to their office at the Federal Secretariat and they gave me attention.
“I said please fire, the market is going down. They called one of their bosses who approved immediately and they had to call one of their trucks stationed at the INEC office to join me to the market immediately.
“But as we got there a lot of hoodlums were entering and looting. And they started throwing bottles and stones at the fire truck and their officers and tried to mob them”.
The Ojoto Market Chairman said he pleaded with the hoodlums to allow them to do their job, saying they paid deaf ears and continued pelting stones to the extent that the fire fighters with the help of policemen drove to the Illabuchi Police Station for cover.
“At this point the market was already 85 percent down. I lost three of my shops and I didn’t pick up anything and others too. We have over 200 shops in that market. A lot of people have lost their livelihoods.”
He noted that none of the traders picked anything out of the marker and called on the state government to assist them start their lives again.
When contacted, the Commander, Federal Fire Service in Rivers State, Abdullahi Alfa confirmed the attack on his men and their truck, describing it as unfortunate.
Alfa said: “One of our major mandates is to save lives and property and we try our best to respond to distress calls and we must do our job.
“In this case, I was part of the team that went there to put out the fire. We were attacked by these boys and one of our trucks was slightly damaged and we had to run for our lives.
“We were not the ones that caused the fire. Ours is to go and help. So if they continue to attack us like this, what do we do?”
