Fire razes 10 shops in Nigeria

At least 10 shops have been razed by fire in Ogoja local government area of Cross River State.

The incident which occurred at about 10:00 a.m. Saturday affected shops located along the Federal Science College, Ogboja-Abakpa, Ogoja.

The cause of the fire has not been ascertained, but brave residents worked hard to quell the fire.

An eyewitness, Ray Obi, said it was a horrible experience as people watched helplessly as the fire razed buildings with more than 10 shops.

Obi said: "Although, nobody knew what caused the fire that escalated wildly. Many people tried to pick up a few things but no life was lost.

"Where is our fire service? During this harmattan season, several cases of fire outbreak have occurred in Ogoja - leading to loss of properties worth several millions of Naira."

The Public Relations Officer of the State Fire Service, Cletus Makers, declined to confirm the incident, saying he was out of town on an official assignment

"I am currently not in town. I am in Akure for an official assignment. But, I'll direct you to the person in charge of Ogoja station. He'll know better," Makers said.