Tension gripped residents of Fegge in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State after a devastating fire swept through a residential building in the early hours of Thursday, destroying property worth millions of naira.
The blaze, which reportedly began around 2:30 a.m., was attributed to an electrical surge by one of the victims, Mr. Jude, who operated a mini garment factory on the top floor of the affected building.
According to Mr. Jude, the fire outbreak followed a night of unstable electricity supply. “There was persistent power fluctuation all night. Suddenly, the fire erupted and consumed everything,” he told reporters.
He recounted that the inferno destroyed seven high-grade industrial sewing machines, each valued at over ₦1.5 million, along with six domestic machines and an unspecified quantity of fabric materials, all estimated to run into several millions of naira.
The landlord of the building, Mr. Aaron Ezeobi, expressed sorrow over the destruction, revealing that he had previously issued a quit notice to Mr. Jude, warning him against using a residential structure for industrial purposes.
“The quit notice was due to expire next month. It’s painful, especially now that building materials are so expensive,” Ezeobi lamented.
Following the incident, the Member representing Onitsha North and South in the House of Representatives, Engr. Emeka Idu, visited the scene to sympathize with both the landlord and the tenant. While consoling them, he advised against dwelling too much on the loss to prevent health complications.
“Please don’t let this weigh you down. I know the loss is great, but your health is more important,” he said.
The lawmaker offered immediate financial assistance of ₦200,000 to Mr. Jude and promised further support after assessing the total cost of the damaged equipment.
“I’ll look into the cost of the machines and see how I can assist further. Also, when you begin repairs, let me know so I can contribute to re-roofing the building,” Idu told the landlord.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether emergency services responded to the fire, but investigations into the cause are expected to follow.
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