Police in Calabar confirm fire outbreak, goods worth millions razed
CP Afegbua of C'River Police
Idongesit Inyang, Calabar
The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed a major fire outbreak that razed the Akim Timber Market located beside the Police Barracks in Calabar on Friday night.
No lives were lost in the inferno, except goods and properties, mainly timber and other materials, valued at millions of naira were destroyed, a Police statement released by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, on Saturday, revealed.
The statement, added that preliminary investigations suggest the fire was triggered by an electrical fault and spark originating from the public power supply within the market.
The Police statement, disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Rashid Afegbua personally coordinated the emergency response, deploying patrol teams and tactical units to the scene immediately after the report was received.
According to the statement “The operation was a collaborative effort involving the Nigeria Police Force, the Cross River State Fire Service, and the University of Calabar Fire Service.”
“The combined teams fought the flames for several hours, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to the adjacent Police Barracks. The fire was eventually extinguished at about 1:55 AM on Saturday, March 28″ the statement further maintained.
It added that the Command has officially commenced an investigation to determine the full extent of the damage and confirm the exact cause of the spark.
In the wake of the incident, the police have issued an advisory to the general public regarding fire safety, ASP Eitokpah noted.
The Command urges members of the public to adhere strictly to fire safety measures, especially in markets and other public places, to prevent such occurrences.
