Outrage in Onitsha: Fire Destroys Multimillion-Naira Shops as Traders Blame Slow Emergency Response

A devastating fire tore through a section of Onitsha’s bustling Iweka Road, near the famous Ochanja Market, on Tuesday night, destroying shops and goods worth millions of naira. The blaze, which reportedly started around 8:30 p.m., raged for several minutes before firefighters arrived—raising serious concerns about the state’s emergency response system.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and helplessness as traders, most of whom had gone home for the day, returned to find their livelihoods reduced to ashes. While the cause of the fire remains unknown, many affected shop owners are questioning why the fire service took over an hour to respond, despite the fire’s rapid spread.

Confirming the incident, Anambra State Fire Service Chief Chukwudi Chiketa stated that his team received a distress call at 9:40 p.m. and immediately dispatched firefighters. However, critics argue that the response was too slow, allowing the fire to wreak havoc before it was finally contained.

Although fire officials managed to save several shops in a two-story building, at least four others—reportedly stocked with highly flammable materials like leather and foam—were completely gutted. The scale of the destruction has left many traders devastated, with some calling for an investigation into the apparent delay in firefighting efforts.

With Onitsha’s markets being a major commercial hub, the latest fire disaster has once again raised the alarm over poor fire safety measures, inadequate emergency response, and the need for urgent government intervention. The big question now is: Could more have been saved if the fire service had acted faster?