Fire guts Otukpo market again

At least 70 shops were on Wednesday gutted by an early morning fire at the Otukpo main Market in Otukpo Town of Benue State.

Our correspondent reports that this is the second time the market would be razed by fire this year.

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It was learnt that the fresh incident destroyed property and wares worth millions of naira.

Witnesses said that the fire started between 4:30am and 5:00am on Wednesday and then spread quickly before the arrival of the men of the Otukpo Fire Service who put it off.

The chairman of Otukpo LGA, George Alli, told newsmen in Makurdi by telephone that the timely intervention of the Fire Service prevented the fire from spreading to other sections of the market.

Ali worried that the market was being consumed by fire for the second time this year as he posited that only restructuring of the market will provide the needed solution to frequent fire incidents.

He said the areas affected include the building materials section, electronics as well as plastic materials sections of the market.

The chairman however said that it was still too early to ascertain the worth of property destroyed by the inferno even as he sympathised with the traders for their losses.

“We have lost about 64 shops. The market is actually choked and we are trying to see how we can put access roads in the market. We are urging the traders association to cooperate with the local government on this.

“At a point they took us to court but eventually withdrew. We need their cooperation on this because the traders are always at the receiving end whenever this kind of incident happens.

“This development is sad. I sympathise with the traders of the affected shops and feel their losses in these trying times. I thank God that no life was lost. I want to also commend the men of the Otukpo Fire Service for quickly responding to the calls to contain the fire.

He added that going forward, the stakeholders will have to stamp their feet and restructure the market to “allow fire service truck and other equipment free movement within the market like they are currently doing with the burnt shops we are rebuilding.”

“This will safeguard lives and properties of traders and customers in the market in the event of emergency,” Alli maintained.