Goods and property estimated to be worth multi-million naira have been destroyed as a midnight fire gutted some shops at the Mgbuka Obosi Old Motor Spare Parts Market in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Reporters gathered that the inferno occurred at midnight on Saturday, mostly affecting three shops, including a provision store.

The cause of the inferno was attributed to a power surge as a result of a poor electrical connection in one of the burnt structures.

The chairman of the market, Chief Samuel Ifurunwa, who spoke when our correspondent visited the scene on Sunday, said he was alerted to the incident at about 3 am (Saturday) while the market security operatives had quickly swung into rescue operations.

Ifurunwa said, “I was called around 3 am (on Saturday) that Mgbuka Obosi Market was on fire. They said one person did some electrical connection in his shop on Friday evening. Then, when the light came around 3 am, the connection sparked fire, which prompted the security operatives to rush to the scene and found out that it was from one of the makeshift structures which was electrified on Friday.

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“According to them, the power surge assisted the weak wires to spark fire and the wires fell on top of the zinc and escalated to two other shops, despite efforts of the security operatives to put off the raging inferno and in the process, the worst affected was the structure of a woman selling provision.

“The security operatives said there was fuel inside the shop that was what helped the fire to escalate and because it had gone out of control, the security operatives called fire servicemen of Asaba and Main market but to no avail and they had to call Okpoko fire service personnel. They came to our rescue and quenched the fire, but not without touching three makeshift structures.

“The man who made the illegal connection has been arrested because we have only one person handling the electricity project in our market.

“We have announced and warned everybody not to bring in any electrician inside our market except the one recognised by the market authority because if found, we will hand the person over to the police.

“One of the affected victims, a woman, said she had warned the man not to make the connection.”

In his defence, the owner of the shop, who made the connection, Sunday Ezekwe, said, “I was called around 3 am that Mgbuka Obosi market was on fire. I don’t know if it was the connection I made that caused it or not, because I was not there.

“I was using electricity before someone disconnected mine. When I approached him to know his reason, he said he did not do it intentionally, and that I should buy N3,000 wire and reconnect it.

“I called the man in charge of electricity in our market, and he directed me to the man who did the connection. I did not store fuel in my shop, rather there was fuel in my generator. Due to the nature of my business, I use a generator also.”

Confirming the incident in a statement, the Media and Publicity Unit of the Anambra State Fire Service, led by the Fire Chief, Chukwudi Chiketa, said firefighters were deployed immediately to the scene of the incident and they battled to contain the fire.

Chiketa said the firefighters extinguished the inferno after several hours and returned to the station at 05:30 hours of the same day.

“The Anambra State Fire Service on Saturday, received a distress call at 2:00 am of a fire at Mainline of Mgbuka Obosi market, in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State.

“The gallant firefighters and equipment were deployed immediately to the scene, they fought and contained the fire.

“The fire affected two stores and a provision shop while many other stores and shops in the market were saved. No Life was lost. The cause of the fire was attributed to a power surge.

“The general public is advised to always be safety conscious in whatever they are doing, as fire is destructive when it is out of control,” he stated.