A late-night fire on Friday gutted a timber market in Calabar, Cross River State, destroying goods valued at millions of naira.
In a video obtained by our correspondent, three men were seen mourning the loss of their property as flames consumed stacks of timber. At the time the footage was recorded, no fire service personnel were visible at the scene.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, later confirmed in a message sent at 10:02 p.m. that he was on-site and that the University of Calabar Fire Service had been alerted.
According to the PPRO, the blaze broke out around 8:30 p.m. at the timber market located beside the Police Barracks in the state capital. Preliminary investigations suggested that the fire may have started from “a spark originating from the public power supply within the market.”
Eitokpah stated, “Upon receipt of the report, a swift and coordinated response was initiated. Police personnel, including patrol teams and tactical units, were immediately deployed to the scene.” He added that the response was personally overseen by the Commissioner of Police, Rashid Afegbua.
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The joint efforts of the police, the Cross River State Fire Service, and the University of Calabar Fire Service successfully contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to the nearby Police Barracks. “With the collaborative efforts of the police and the timely intervention of the fire services, the fire was successfully contained and prevented from spreading to the nearby Police Barracks,” Eitokpah said.
The blaze was eventually extinguished at about 1:55 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2026. While no lives were lost, the fire destroyed timber and other goods worth millions of naira.
“Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident. However, goods and properties… valued at millions of naira were destroyed,” the PPRO added. He noted that further investigations into the cause of the fire had begun.
The police command urged the public to strictly observe fire safety measures, particularly in markets and other public spaces, to prevent similar incidents.