Fire guts shops in Ebonyi mechanic village

TRAGEDY struck yesterday at the Mechanic Village, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, as more than 15 shops with property and wares worth millions of naira and about 10 vehicles were burnt in an early morning fire.

The fire incident, which started at about 5:00a.m. is coming barely five days after some traders at the shop protested against what they termed leadership imposition by some persons in the state.

Already there are allegations that the incident may have been deliberately set by one of the factions involved in the leadership tussle.

Meanwhile, some of the victims have lamented the loss of their livelihood and called on the state government to come or their aid. Narrating his ordeal, Christian Enwerem, a victim, said apart from his shop that was gutted by fire, the fire also destroyed a calibrat- ing machine worth N3 million, motor parts he was selling, and some customers’ property among others.

“I was in my house around 7:00a.m. when somebody told me to come to shop immediately that everywhere was on fire and that our workshop has been burnt to ashes. We don’t use electricity here, I have a generating set to energise my workshop and I put it off whenever I am through. So it baffles me how fire from electricity would have consumed the shops, especially my area.”

Acting chairman of NATA, Chidiebere Uzor, expressed sadness over the disaster and alleged that it was masterminded by enemies of the mechanic village. “For me to see all these burnt tyres round these shops and vehicles that were burnt tells me something is behind it. So, we will fish out the perpetrators and I will make sure that everybody know about it.”