Tragedy struck the Atimbo area of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, as a midnight inferno engulfed six shops, reducing goods worth millions of naira to ashes.

The fire, which broke out around 12 a.m. on Friday, affected a row of shops including a laundry service, a DSTV subscription outlet, a pharmacy, a barbing salon, a tailoring shop, and an eatery.

Despite efforts by residents and neighbours who rushed out in the dead of night to help contain the blaze, the fire raged uncontrollably, destroying virtually everything.

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Many of the shops had burglary protections, which hindered access and made rescue efforts even more difficult. Eyewitnesses said the fire could have started due to electrical sparks following repeated power outages and fluctuations experienced throughout the day.

A landlady in the area, Madam Nkoyo Effiom, expressed her distress over the incident, saying she could no longer sleep after hearing about the fire. She described the shop owners as good neighbours and lamented the total loss they suffered.

Chike Obike, a resident who was among those trying to douse the flames, said the fire started shortly after electricity was restored. “At about past 12 a.m., the light came back, and we saw sparks near the shops. Smoke started coming from the laundry shop, and we rushed to help. But we couldn’t save much because of the iron bars on the shops,” he explained.

Another resident, Emmanuel Ugo, voiced his frustration at the lack of emergency response, saying, “There was no point calling the Fire Service. They don’t even have trucks, hydrants, or fuel.”

Attempts to reach the State Police Command’s Deputy PRO, Igri Ewa, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on General Duties, Barrister Ekpenyong Akiba, for comments were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

NAF Airstrikes Kill Dozens Of Boko Haram Fighters In Borno

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed that its air component of Operation Hadin Kai carried out successful airstrikes that eliminated scores of Boko Haram terrorists and destroyed a major insurgent stronghold in Borno State.

According to a statement released on Friday by the Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the precision air raids were launched in the early hours of Friday, targeting fleeing terrorists in Bita, a notorious Boko Haram hideout in the North-East.