The old saying that when two elephants fight, the grass suffers was demonstrated at the multi-million naira timber market in Nnewi, Anambra State last week.
The Ogbo Osisi part of the Nkwo Nnewi market known for timber and other forms of building materials was reportedly gutted by a fire outbreak that destroyed more than 108 shops.
On February 17, the traders had gone to the market with expectations of huge sales, oblivious of the calamity that would befall them.
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Many of the traders were said to have restocked their shops with goods worth millions of naira a few days before the ugly incident.
Unknown to the traders, some hoodlums suspected to be hard drugs sellers and consumers, who had clashed with some cultists in the area, had sneaked into the market as they were being pursued by security operatives.
The hoodlums were said to have made their way straight to an erosion site at the south end of the market to avoid being arrested by the security agents on their trail.
Determined to smoke out the hoodlums from their hiding place, the security operatives allegedly set fire to the site. Regrettably, the fire became so huge that it spread to a section of the market, destroying goods and property worth millions of naira.
The Nation gathered that efforts made by the security operatives in conjunction with the traders in the market to contain the fire could not yield much result, hence great damage had been done before the arrival of the men of the fire service.
Narrating their ordeal, some victims of the incident, who spoke to The Nation, described themselves as innocent ‘grasses’ who suffered mighty losses at the hands of two ‘elephants’ over an altercation that ensued between the police and the hoodlums.
Although the police had shortly after the incident absolved themselves of blame in the inferno, many of the traders pointed accusing fingers at them and other security agents in the area.
They said although the actions of the security agents might not have been deliberate, the incident could have been avoided if they had been more circumspect in the way they handled the hoodlums’ matter.
One of the victims, Comrade Godwin Okorie, identified the security operatives involved in the incident to include the police and members of the vigilance group in the area.
Okorie, who claimed to have lost about 16 vehicle engines and other goods including airconditioners, freezers, executive chairs and saw mill to the inferno, appealed to the government for assistance.
He said: “We were surprised when we saw large number of men of the vigilante accompanied by the DPO, Nnewi division. They didn’t even consult the chairman of the union but went straight to the erosion site.
“Many of us who witnessed the incident saw the one they call Ethel. They suddenly ignited fire there, claiming they were pursuing criminals so that the fire could push them out to where they could be caught.
“But when it became obvious that they could not control the raging fire, they all ran out from the site, jumped inside their vehicles and zoomed off. Before the people who were around could stop them to demand that they should go back and extinguish the fire, they had all disappeared.
“You can see one of the vehicles they abandoned. What we’re hearing now is that they have denied that they were the ones that set the place on fire. They claimed it was the criminals. How can it be people from 100 miles away?
“I am the owner of this office. You can see the airconditioners, freezers, executive chairs. The other side was where I had my two saw mills. They are all burnt. I lost almost 16 (vehicle) engines. My colleague here, Ifeanyi, lost three engines. There were others who lost everything.
“Here in the timber shade, government gave us a borehole but they have refused to allow it to function. They cannot pump water.
“The most annoying aspect of the whole episode is that it happened in the day time. If it were to be at night, they would use the excuse that it happened at an odd time. Even at day time, they could not help us.
“See all the damages. I could only rescue two-thirds of my property. They failed to assist us. If the borehole was to be functional, it would not have gotten to this extent.
“The major people that ignited the fire were the police and the one they call Ethel from Uruagu here. We were not fewer than 50 persons who witnessed the incident. Now they have rendered us useless and there’s nothing we can do.” Another witness, Ifeanyi Chikwe, who described the actions of the security agencies as selfish, wondered why they would resort to igniting fire, knowing the inflammable nature of many of the goods in the market.
He said: “We were here around noon when we saw some policemen led by the DPO, anti-cults and Nnewi vigilante going inside the market. We saw the leader of the vigilante wearing native and putting on his lighter. We were shouting, ‘Stop, stop, here is timber shade, you’ll spoil things here,’ but they didn’t care to listen to anyone.
“The next thing we saw was fire everywhere. We were trying to secure our property, so we quickly ran to the borehole with a hose, trying to quench the fire, but the whole thing overwhelmed us.
“I know the act was not intentional. I know they didn’t have plans to burn down this market. But it was purely selfish interest which they allowed to destroy our property. But for them to come out now denying that they don’t know who set the market on fire, that it was the criminals, they are typical liars.
“We saw them. I personally saw them with my two naked eyes. We can count up to 100 persons that saw them.
“We saw everything that happened. When it became obvious that the fire had overwhelmed them, they ran out, using bullets. We can’t pursue armed men with bare hands. All we did was to resort to controlling the fire so it would not spread to other sections.
“Unfortunately, no tanker agreed to enter the market. The only one that agreed to help us got burnt in the process. We can’t use ordinary hand to quench the raging fire. We don’t have enough manpower to do that.”
The visibly devastated trader quantified the loss he incurred in the inferno at over N10 million, lamenting that “they have rendered me useless. All my resources are here. It is my entire life.”
Also speaking, Chief Dozie Egwuonwu, another trader in the market, said he had just stocked goods worth N3 million which were all consumed by the fire. The Chairman, Nnewi Timber Dealers Association, Chief Nonso Nnetu, who could not specifically identify the cause of the fire, alleged that the inferno started when security operatives entered the erosion site in search of suspected cultists, hard drugs sellers and consumers.
He said: “A combined team of security operatives made up of the police and vigilance groups arrived the market with about eight patrol vehicles and moved straight to an erosion site at the south end of the market in search of cultists, hard drug sellers and consumers.
“Soon after they entered the valley around 12 pm, we saw smoke with flames rising from the area. Though the operatives, while pursuing the suspects, tried to put out the fire with the assistance of the traders, they couldn’t.”
Nnetu regretted that no fewer than 108 shops, processing machines and other goods worth millions of naira were lost to the inferno.
He said: “As I speak with you now, I am still feeling sleepy because I left this market around 4 am. I was still trying to catch some sleep when I was called to come back to the market. You can see my reddish eyes.
“So far, we have paid for over 1,500 litres of water from 170 tankers to extinguish the fire but it is still raging. We really need serious intervention from both the state and federal governments to recover from this great loss.”
Reacting, the police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, dismissed police’s alleged responsibility for the fire as false and misleading and targeted at creating tension and anarchy in the state.
He said the fire was occasioned by a clash between a cult group and drugs sellers at 100 Foot Road, Nnewi, resulting in serious pandemonium in the area.
He added that a total of 35 suspects had been arrested, while an axe, dried leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa and a motorcycle were recovered from them.
He said: “The attention of the Anambra State Police Command has been drawn to a trending video clip which has gone viral in the social media showing a fire incident at Nnewi Timber Market in which the recorder claimed the Nigeria Police Force was responsible.
“The report is not only false but absolutely misleading with the tendency of creating tension and anarchy in the state. “For the avoidance of doubt, on 17/2/2021 at about 10 am, a cult group and drugs sellers had a clash at 100 Foot Road, Nnewi, causing serious pandemonium in the area.
“Following the report, police patrol teams in conjunction with local vigilante group quickly mobilised to the scene and arrested four suspects on the spot.
“The remaining hoodlums blocked the road and set fire on the saw dust in a bid to prevent the police from taking the suspects to the station. The fire overwhelmed the people who tried to put it out and extended to the timber market.
“As a result, a police patrol vehicle attached to Otolo Division and three vehicles belonging to the vigilante groups were stoned by the rampaging youth.
“Meanwhile, normalcy was restored in the area and a total of 35 suspects were arrested. Exhibits recovered include an axe, dried leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa and a motorcycle.
“It is obvious that the recorder shared the video online with the aim of triggering anarchy in the state, which the Command and other law enforcement agencies are working assiduously to prevent.”
While urging the public to disregard the misleading video report, Mohammed warned mischief makers to be ready to face the full wrath of the law, insisting that the police would not fold their arm while criminality was being perpetrated.
On his part, leader of the vigilance groups during the joint operation, Dr Maduka Atuenyi, who doubles as the Chairman of Nnewi and Anambra South vigilance groups, absolved the police and other operatives of blame in the incident, insisting that the suspects created the fire to escape arrest.
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