By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Traders in timber market Nnewi, Anambra State, and police are trading words over Wednesday’s fire incident that razed the multi-million naira market.

While traders in the market point accusing fingers at the Police for the incident, the Police have absolved themselves, attributing the inferno to some hoodlums attempting to evade arrest.

But the chairman of Nnewi Timber Dealers Association, Chief Nonso Nnetu, who could not identify the cause of the fire incident, alleged that the inferno started when security operatives entered the erosion site in search of suspected hard drug sellers, consumers and cultists.

According to him, a combined team of security operatives consisting 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, searching for cultists, hard drugs sellers and consumers.

“Soon after they entered the valley around 12pm, we saw smoke with flames rising from the area. Though the (security) operatives, while pursuing the suspects tried to put out the fire with the assistance of the traders, but they couldn’t.

“No fewer than 108 shops, processing machines and other goods worth millions of naira were lost to the inferno.”

Chief Dozie Egwuonwu, a victim of the inferno lamented that he had just stocked his shop with goods worth N3 million, saying that it all got burnt in the inferno.

Meanwhile, the leader of the vigilance groups, Maduka Atuenyi, who doubles as the Chairman of Nnewi and Anambra South vigilance groups, absolved the police and other operatives from the incident

He maintained that the suspects put on the fire to escape arrest.

In his reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Haruna Mohammed, described the report that police caused the fire as not only false, but misleading adding that it was targeted at creating tension and anarchy in the state.

He said the inferno was caused due to a clash between a cult group and drug sellers at 100 Foot Road Nnewi, resulting to serious pandemonium in the area.

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 as 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 February 17, 2021 at about 10am, 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 the 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 off which 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 includes 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.”

Mohammed said that a total of 35 suspects have been arrested while dried leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa, an axe and a motorcycle were recovered from them.

He enjoined the public to disregard the misleading video report, even as the Police warned those it called mischief makers to be ready to face the full wrath of the law.

The police image maker stressed that the police force would not fold its arm while criminality was being perpetrated.

Update news