Police battling to contain looters at Calabar shopping mall gutted by fire
Calabar Fire Prompts Police Response to Shop Looting
CALABAR, Nigeria — Members of the Nigeria Police Force are actively working to prevent looting at the SPAR shopping mall, where a significant fire has broken out. Authorities suspect that the blaze may have originated from an electrical fault.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Eitokpah Sunday Akata, the Public Relations Officer for the state command, reported that officers have been on-site since the incident began early Saturday morning.
“Our personnel are engaged in efforts to contain the situation and prevent miscreants from taking advantage of the chaos to steal valuable goods,” Akata said. “We have fenced off affected areas to deter looters.”
No casualties have been reported; however, significant damage to properties and goods has occurred. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
The fire has left many shop owners distraught as they observed their businesses and merchandise being consumed by flames. Some reported losses amounting to millions of Naira.
Orji Alphonsus, who operates a second-hand goods shop, expressed his devastation. He rented the shop less than a year ago and invested both personal savings and bank loans to stock his inventory.
“I am completely ruined,” Alphonsus lamented. “My entire savings are gone. How will I repay the loans I obtained from banks? What do I do from here with my large family depending on me?”
As of Saturday afternoon, officials have not confirmed the cause of the fire. Fire trucks were reportedly dispatched to the scene, but it remains unclear if they possess the resources necessary to combat the intense flames effectively.
