By Ozioruva Aliu, BENIN CITY

LAST Saturday’s evening fire that burnt down a spare parts market in Ubiaja, Esan South West local government area with goods worth several millions of naira lost has sparked reactions from the indigenes and residents of the area.

They are demanding for the return of a fire service truck which was removed from the federal Fire Service Station in the area. They believed the truck, if it was available, could have salvaged the situation.

It was gathered that the fire started at about 7 pm on Saturday when business was just closing for the day and the people used buckets to put out the fire which was ineffective.

A victim, Edwin Offorkani said he lost goods and part of the complex which he said ran into millions of naira.

According to him, “We had closed for the day and were packing when we noticed smoke from the back, I initially thought it was smoke coming from the back of the building but we suddenly discovered that it was coming from the roof at the back of the building.

“The fire burnt all the spare parts and a part of the building.”

An indigene of the area, Engr. Osas Osaro condemned the relocation of the fire truck from Ubiaja to the Benin Airport in the guise of a special assignment.

“We have intensified effort at getting the truck back to us because a truck belonging to a local government in a state should not be used by FAAN. FAAN has a budget for all of these things. We the youths of the Esan South West local government area are calling on our political leaders to ensure that the truck is brought back to us.”

Corroborating the development,a community Wilson Ejehirele said he raised issues when the fire truck in the place was removed from Ubiaja.

“I reached out to Rt. Hon Sergius Ogun to have firsthand information about the status of the facility. He informed me that the fire service station was one of his constituency projects and that the fire truck was approved for the centre through a ministerial approval after a series of meetings with the former Minister of Interior.”

When contacted, the State Director, Federal Fire Service, Mrs Bidemi Jeremiah did not pick repeated calls nor did she respond to the sms and whatsapp messages sent to her line.