No fewer than ten shops and five residential buildings near the Ikoku spare parts market along Gambia Lane popularly called Ijaw Quarters in Diobu area of Port Harcourt were yesterday gutted by fire.

The Tide gathered that the inferno was as a result of a dump site which was deliberately set on fire, adding that the fire became uncontrollable, as a result of the harmattan haze and spread to the affected areas.

“The fire destroyed disused cars and spare parts at the dumpsite and spread to surrounding buildings, while residents and store owners moved frantically to evacuate their property from the fire.

An eye witness said the fire which started at about ten O’clock in the morning lasted for hours and that a save-our-soul call on the Rivers State Fire Service could not attract help as authorities of the service complained that the available fire fighting truck had bad tires.

However, rescue was said to have come from the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) fire service that controlled the situation until the fire-fighters’ trucks exhausted their water.

Phone calls put through to the Honourable Commissioner for Special Duties, Chief Emeka Nwogu for his comment was not responded to.

When The Tide visited the scene, the fire was still raging and some residents, especially youths were seen trying to put out the fire with water and mud.

“You can see, I have to abandon the New Year rice I was eating to start fighting fire today,” responded one of the youths to our reporter’s questions.

Some shop owners, mainly motor parts dealers, were frantically removing vital property from their sheds fearing that their sheds might be affected.

A lady who simply identified herself as Chinyere said, “my oga just travelled home this morning, while I went to church but when his friends called him to alert him of the situation, he called me. So I had to rush from the church to the scene,” she said.

Chinyere said, “that is the second time such fire was occurring from the dump site and called the attention of the state government to help remove the large waste dump which had remained there for years, to provide a lasting solution to the problem.

The spokesman for the Rivers Police Command, Mr Ben Ugwuegbulam, who confirmed the incident, said that policemen had been sent to the area to ensure security of lives and property.

“The command received a report of the fire incident at Ikoku motor parts market. We have sent our men to ensure that hoodlums do not capitalise on the incident to steal from the stores in the neigbourhood. We have also told residents of the area and owners of stores to report to the police any incident of stealing or acts that could lead to breakdown of law and order,” he said.

Ugwuebulam said the command was on top of the situation and would ensure that criminals did not cause havoc in the area. He said the command had not received any report of loss of life from the fire scene.

Chris Oluoh