Metro

Property Destroyed, 20 Residents Displaced As Gas Explosion Rocks Port Harcourt

Published

2 years ago

April 4, 2023

…Victims Blame Firefighters’ Lateness

Goods and property worth millions of naira were destroyed following a gas explosion from a fire incident in a set of apartments at Awkwuzu Street in the Diobu area of Mile One in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Following the intensity of the explosion, over 20 affected occupants of the building precisely on No. 9 Awkwuzu Street were displaced.

It was observed that while many of the affected residents watched the raging fire helplessly consuming their property, amidst wailing, a thick black smoke billowed into the atmosphere.

Eyewitnesses said the fire started at about 8am when a faulty gas from one of the rooms exploded and spread to the other apartments.

One of the affected occupants who gave her name as Esther told our correspondent that the fire started from the roof of a women who left her cooking gas on and went to the hospital.

While noting that the camp gas was faulty, she said the woman didn’t know she hadn’t properly turned the gas off before leaving home.

The lady while narrating the incident in an emotionally laden voice said none of the occupants was able to salvage any property from the building due to the speed of the inferno.

She stated, “Somebody, a woman, unknowingly left her gas on. You know how this camp gas behave when the regulator is bad.

“Probably, she turned it off thinking it was off but I think she didn’t observe it well. So she took it inside her apartment, locked the door and left for the clinic.

“Before people could realise, it had burnt and exploded. That was the cause of the fire. Unfortunately nobody was able to pick anything out of the place. The place was completely razed.”

Another resident said it was unfortunate that for nearly two hours that the fire was on, firefighters did not show up to try to put it out.

“No fire service came, either from the state or federal. If they came at least some people would have rescued some valuables of other property,” he lamented.

He said aside personal property and buildings lost to the fire, about five shops belonging to traders in front of the building were also consumed in the inferno.

The PUNCH reporter who visited the area observed that earlier, policemen from the Mile One Division were on the ground to ensure that hoodlums didn’t catch in on the situation to loot peoples’ property when the fire started.

The situation attracted sympathizers and onlookers some of whom were half dressed, while those in the opposite building hurriedly carried some valuable property for fear of the fire spreading to towards their direction.

When contacted, the Commander, Federal Fire Service in Rivers State, Abdul Alfa said he was aware of the incident, but expressed regrets that its men were not able to get to the scene because their operational vehicles were under maintenance.

While sympathizing with the affected residents, he said the federal fire service under his watch responds to every distress call on that nature but that it was handicapped due to the situation of its vehicles.

Alfa stated, “Not that we didn’t turn up. The problem is that our vehicles are of the road. They are under maintenance.

“But I tried to call the fire department from some of the companies here in Port Harcourt to see how they can assist. If our vehicles are in order what are waiting for? It is our job and we don’t waste time in responding to such distress calls because we know it is an emergency situation.”

PUNCH

Metro

BREAKING: Bodies Of 8 Missing Policemen Recovered In Benue

Published

11 hours ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Lifeless bodies of the eight policemen who were declared missing after a deadly attack on security operatives at Agu Centre, on the border of Katsina-Ala and Ukum LGAs of Benue State, have been recovered.

Dr Justin Shaku, Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA disclosed this to reporters in Makurdi on Monday.

According to him, “this brings the number of officers killed to 11 (10 policemen and one BSCPG)”.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Friday, when a team of security operatives came under the attack of armed invaders.

Three personnel were immediately confirmed dead while eight others were declared missing.

Metro

Police Arrest Three Kidnappers Over ₦6.9m Ransom, Victim’s Murder

Published

11 hours ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested three suspected kidnappers who allegedly killed one of their victims after collecting N6.9 million ransom.

The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed this in a statement issued on Monday.

Iringe-Koko identified the suspects as Hassan Mohammed (20) of Wandigah Town, Mandagali, Borno State; Bello Abubakar (25) of Roundabout Maura, Sokoto State; and Yusuf Ahmed (23) of Hazari LGA, Bauchi State.

She said the arrests followed an investigation into the abduction of Humphrey Wagbara of Igwuruta-Atali.

According to the PPRO, the suspects also kidnapped one Mercy Chinyere on September 12, 2025, at the same location, where they also collected a ransom of N3,500,000 before releasing her.

The statement read, “On 26th August, 2025, the Rivers State Police Command received a distressing report, suggesting the kidnapping of one Humphrey Wagbara, m of Igwuruta-Atali.

“Operatives of the Command attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit (ACU), Emohua Annexe, acting on this information and in a daring and coordinated operation on 19th September, 2025, at about 0200hrs arrested three suspects at different locations in Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre Local Government Areas of the State in connection with the kidnapping of the victim.”

Iringe-Koko said during interrogation, the suspects voluntarily confessed to their involvement in multiple kidnappings in the State.

Among their past kidnappings are those of Onwuli Jude and Nwabueze Nchekwube on September 24, 2025, at School Road, Igwuruta-Atali, where they collected a ransom of N6,900,000 before killing the victim.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one G-3 rifle with Breech Number 10398, one magazine, one Itel phone belonging to Humphrey Wagbara, a kidnapped victim, three short daggers, one jack knife and one stainless short knife,” Rivers police imagemaker said.

Iringe-Koko added that the suspects and exhibits remain in police custody while detectives track other fleeing members of the syndicate and search for additional weapons.

The Command said it arrested a 48-year-old man, Emmanuel George, for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl (name withheld) in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

According to Iringe-Koko, George committed the offence on September 6, 2025, after luring the minor while she was sent on an errand by her aunt.