Biafra Market Onitsha, Sokoto Road close to River Niger, also known as Glorious Market Onitsha, Anambra State, was gutted by fire late Friday night, destroying over 300 shops and goods worth over N50 million, no life was lost but some traders were said to have sustained injuries while trying to rescue their goods.
Biafra Market is occupied mainly by traders doing their business in shops constructed with pans occupying major part of Sokoto Road near Onitsha Main Market to Kirk Road Junction Fegge, Onitsha South, trading in both male and female casual wears and other cloths including wrappers.
Confirming the incident, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Fegge Police Division, Mr. Ribiu Garba said the fire incident affected U.S.A Line and started at about 9 pm, and was one of the first people to arrive at the scene with men of Okpoko Fire Service Station and their counterpart from Onitsha Main Market, who fought relentlessly to put off the fire.
The fire started from the area where people do some aluminum work at the back of the market, the traders have all gone home because it was already late, the shops near the aluminum workers area were the ones badly affected and that accounts for the reason more damages were recorded from the shops at the back of the market.
