By Egufe Yafugborhi & Akpokona Omafuaire

WARRI—OGBE-IJOH market in Warri, Delta State, notorious for destructive fires,  went up in flames again, yesterday, with property estimated at millions of naira consumed.

Many shop owners were still in church when news broke at 2p.m., that a wing of the market which experienced a similar fire barely six months ago, was on fire again.

The expansive market which flows into the Ogbe-Ijoh River shoreline is popular for general sales of wares, ranging from foodstuff, motor and boats spares parts, to tailoring materials, clothes, fishing gears, among others.

Chairman of the traders association, Ogbe-Ijoh, Alex Kimaki, blamed the inferno on a spark in electricity supply in the market, but other eye-witnesses ascribed the incident to sabotage by unknown persons.

Kimaki, while urging government to assist victims who lost property to the latest fire, called for proper equipping of the local fire services to rise to such occasions, saying that a lot could have been saved if the fire service was ready for emergencies.

Men of the fire service in Warri said, to have arrived late were further handicapped by shortage of water to fight the fire.