Fire Guts Students’ Market in Oko Polytechnic

By David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

A market popular for its usage by students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, has been gutted by fire. The market mostly deals in provisions and food items.

It was gathered goods worth million of naira was razed down yesterday morning. A source told our THISDAY that: “The market is close to the back gate of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko.”

Victor Oluchukwu, a resident of the area said the police quickly barricaded the area to prevent people from looting the shops.

He said: “When I got there this morning, security people were there blocking (movements) and making sure that people carrying things were actually the owners of those shops, so that) some people will not go and steal things.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state,Ikenga Tochukwu, confirmed the incident.

He said: “The fire took place around 1:30am. Some provision shops were affected. Police operatives quickly went to the place to cordon off the area because we discovered that, at times, hoodlums take advantage of the situation to loot, (but) we prevented that.

“On the receipt of the information, police operatives quickly contacted the fire service and with the help of the people in the area the fire was successfully put off.”

While stating that no life was lost in the incident, Ikenga said the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.

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