By Our Correspondent
A horrific fire outbreak in the early hours of Monday, January 26, 2026, has left residents and business owners in shock after it destroyed a building containing 28 apartments and multiple shops on Orumba Street.
The fire, which broke out shortly after power was restored around 2 a.m., quickly spread through the residential and commercial spaces, causing widespread panic.
Mr. Kingsley Oguejiofor, the landlord of the affected building, told newsmen that he was roused from sleep by frantic shouts from tenants, only to find the structure already engulfed in flames.
“By the time I rushed out, the fire had already spread rapidly, and all our efforts to control it were in vain,” Oguejiofor said. “The fire consumed everything in minutes.”
Business owners who had shops in the building also expressed their grief. Some received distress calls alerting them to the fire, but when they arrived, their businesses were already reduced to ashes.
“We had just restocked our shops for the new year, and now everything is gone,” one shopkeeper lamented. “This is a huge setback, especially so early in the year.”
At the time of reporting, the cause of the fire remained unknown, though residents speculate that an electrical surge following the restoration of power may have sparked the blaze.
Firefighters were on the scene, but much of the damage had already been done by the time they arrived.
