A fire has destroyed shops at Afia Nkwo market, Isiama Ohafia, in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State.
The fire, which broke out on Friday morning, destroyed property worth millions of naira.
Some of the victims who spoke to Newslodge lamented that they had recently restocked their stores for the Christmas and New Year sales season, only to find their stores in ruins after the inferno.
They asked the Abia State government for help to mitigate their losses.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu, an Ohafia indigene, commiserated with the victims and expressed deep sorrow over the tragic fire incident.
Emetu promised to conduct an on-the-ground assessment of the affected area to determine the extent of the damage, as well as explore possible support and rehabilitation of the market infrastructure.
He noted that while the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, the government assures all stakeholders that necessary measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future as the safety and well-being of the citizens and residents of Abia remain a top priority. .