Findings by DAILY POST Wednesday morning have revealed that the activities of illegal bunkerers caused the fire that razed the popular Ogbe-Ijoh market in Warri, Delta State.
It was learnt that the market went up in flames when a female illegal bunkerer light a match stick in a bid to test if the products she bought was adulterated.
An eyewitness, who craved anonymity, said the female illegal bunkerer was initially warned against lighting the match but she arrogantly did not heed the warnings.
DAILY POST correspondent, who revisited the market this morning, reports that some of the illegal bunkerers were seen evacuating their products that were rescued and secured overnight.
Wheel barrow pushers were also seen giving them helping hands to evacuate their illegal products.
The Warri South Local Government Council Chairman, Dr. Michael Tidi confirmed that the market was razed as a result of illegal bunkering of petroleum, diesel and other products by traders in the market.
The council boss made the assertion in a chat with newsmen when he visited the market.
He said, “As you can see, the thickness of the fire, that should tell you that probably, they must be selling some substances here which I believe should cooked diesel and off course, oil, petroleum.
“Although, they are selling kerosene but with the intensity of the fire, I want to believe it is fuel they are selling here.”
Tidi ordered the interim market master, simply identified as Godwin, to make sure fire incidence do not occur again.
He pointed out that the market was recently handed over to the Warri South Local Government Council by the Governor, Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa’s led Delta State Government.
According to him, “We are yet to constitute the Market Management Committee whose responsibilities will be to maintain and tackle illegal bunkerers in the market and report back to the Council.”
Tidi opined that if illegal petroleum products are taken away from the market, there will be no fire incidence of any kind.
He also said traders should sell only legitimate products, stressing that “illegal products is not acceptable in the market. They ought not to bring illegal products here” and vowed that his administration will stand firm against illegal bunkering.
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