Posted by The Port Harcourt Telegraph on
Exactly one year ago, there was a fire at Mile I Market located directly opposite the Diobu Police Station.
Exactly one year ago, there was a fire at Mile I Market located directly opposite the Diobu Police Station.
One year after, it is now the turn of the police.
Shops put up by wives of police officers went up in flames a little bit after midnight, turning the police station into a volunteer force that waged battle to rescue their station and whatever were left in the burning shops.
What caused the fire is not yet known, but there were fears some one may have left cooking utensil on, and a feeling that a faulty power source could have sparked off the flames which consumed the stalls, particularly after NEPA's off/on power supply came.
Up to Sunday morning, the flames fought by fire service units drafted by ELF and Shell could still be seen.
As usual, the State fire service failed to rise to the occasion, arriving the scene with empty fire fighting trucks.
Most traders who are patronizing the police stalls said they heard about the fire in the night.
Said a man whose wife runs a mineral dump, "I heard about it in Abuloma around 1.00a.m."
" It was terrible", he said, pointing helplessly to burnt crates of mineral, evidence of a Saturday night fever.
The case of Deborah Yusuf was even more pathetic.
She had secured permission to build a restaurant from outgone Commissioner of Police, Mr Sylvester Araba.
Later she learnt that the outgone Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun had decreed otherwise. For months, she battled to save her investment,
In February this year, her struggle paid off. According to what we have heard, she was able to reach the wife of the present IGP, Mrs Ehindero. And through her she received the nod to go ahead and operate her business.
A couple of days ago, the business opened to the public.
Now, it is in ruins consumed by a mysterious fire.
Mrs Yusuf said she could not tell what led to the fire and could not believe anybody could do this to her.
She told newsmen that she was in her house when she heard shouts of fire and quickly asked the children to bring the key of the shop.
When they got out, she narrated, what she saw overwhelmed her.
"Everything I had laboured for was in flames", she lamented.