Provisions and food items were on Saturday destroyed when fire razed the Total Foodstuff Market in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State.
The market is close to the back gate of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
Victor Oluchukwu, a resident of the area, told PREMIUM TIMES that the police quickly barricaded the area to prevent people from looting the shops.
“When I got there this morning, security people were there blocking (movements) and making sure that people carrying things were actually the owners of those shops. (So that) some people will not go and steal things,” Mr Oluchukwu said.
The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Toochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES Saturday afternoon.
He said no life was lost in the fire incident.
“The fire took place around 1:30a.m. Some provision shops were affected. Police operatives quickly went to the place to cordon off the area because we discovered that, at times, hoodlums take advantage of the situation to loot, (but) we prevented that,” he said.
“On the receipt of the information, police operatives quickly contacted the fire service and with the help of the people in the area the fire was successfully put off,” he added.
Mr Ikenga said the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
He said the police have commenced an investigation into it.
