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

Four Dead As 3-storey Building Collapses In Kano

Published

20 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

Four persons have been confirmed dead following the collapse of a three-storey building on Abedi Street, Sabon Gari area of Kano State.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening after a downpour that lasted several hours, leading to the building’s collapse and trapping its occupants under the rubble.

Spokesperson for the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif, who confirmed the development, said two other persons sustained injuries while nine others sustained minor injuries.

He said: “As of now, we have rescued 15 people. Four were confirmed dead, two sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at Murtala Specialist Hospital, while nine others had minor injuries.

“The rescue operation is still ongoing. We are carefully searching every part of the collapsed structure and evacuating the rubble, as it’s believed that more people may still be trapped inside.”

The rescue operation is carried out by men of the fire fighters, SEMA, NEMA and police among others.

Metro

Gunmen kill community leader in Bayelsa

Published

20 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

Suspected gunmen have reportedly killed the Community Development Committee, CDC, chairman of Igbomotoru 1 Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

It was gathered that the CDC Chairman, identified as Mr Goodnews Manash, was ambushed at the back of the community’s school compound about 10:30p.m., Sunday, while on his way to a relative’s house.

Confirming the incident, the paramount ruler of the community, HRH Ayibaikie Ofongo, said: “Between 12 midnight and 2a.m., Sunday, somebody from the community called to inform me that gunmen have abducted the CDC chairman of our community.

“It was not until this morning that I got concrete information that the CDC chairman was actually assassinated in the community. I can confirm that he is dead, but we intend to have meetings at the community level before we issue an official statement to the public”

Also reacting , the Press Secretary to the Chairman of Southern Ijaw LGA, Mr Ayibaetare Easterday, condemned the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

He said: “The story is true but he was not killed in his house. He was killed close to another person’s compound, whom he was going to visit. It is an unfortunate incident and we pray that this kind of thing does not happen again.”

“We are all brothers and sisters, so if we offend one another in the community, we should exercise tolerance and make peace. The incident is not befitting of who we are and its condemnable.”

Metro

Panic As Armed Robbers Kill 2 In Ebonyi

Published

20 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

There was fear and anxiety in Agba community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, as a suspected armed robber shot and killed two persons in the community.

The town union president of the community, Mr Sunday Nwadibia, who confirmed the incident said the community has been under siege for some time due to the activities of armed robbers.

He gave the names of the deceased as Sunday Oyibe, a school proprietor, and Chukwu Ebuka.

Nwadibia said the community has been witnessing attacks and robberies since last year, which has led to loss of lives, cash running into millions, and property worth millions of naira.

He revealed that before the killing of Sunday Oyibe and Chukwu Ebuka, the hoodlums attacked a POS operator in the community and dispossessed him of N2.7million.

The town union president, who said the hoodlums usually wear military camouflage with bulletproof vests, also snatched a Toyota Corolla car and five motorcycles from some members of the community when they started operating in the area.

He expressed dismay that their activities have crippled economic activities in the community and urged security agencies to come to the aid of the community.

He said: “I was in my place when people started running because armed robbers were robbing at our junction.

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“So, everybody started looking for safety not knowing that the hoodlums are coming very close to our side in the community.

“Before we could notice it, we heard gunshots me and my workers also started running for safety. The hoodlums advanced to another junction near my house and that junction is called Orie Agba and started operating there and people started running.

“I climbed one upstairs and started watching the hoodlums. They started shooting heavily and approached my office which I had locked already when I noticed their presence in the community.

“They shot one Sunday Oyibe, the founder of Unique International School, who is also the chairman of the timber association in Ishielu. We rushed him to the hospital but he couldn’t make it.

“They shot another person, Chukwu Ebuka who people said was dragging his iPhone with them,” Vanguard quoted him.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the killing of the two persons in the community.

He promised to get the details of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ishielu Local Government.

“Yes, I know there was an incident somewhere in Ishielu but I will call the DPO of the area to get more information about it,” he said.