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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
No fewer than 10 persons are feared killed following inferno at Bonny/Bille/Nembe jetty in Port Harcourt and two other location in Rivers state in less than 72 hours.
The fire at the jetty took place on yesterday morning as traders were offloading goods from boats. Omoni Nnamdi, Rivers police spokesperson, confirmed that the fire engulfed five boats with passengers trapped in them.
At the weekend, residential houses in Isiokpo Street, D/Line, in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area and Zenith Bank Plc, located in Rumuokoro, Obio/Akpor LGA, were razed by fire.
Daily Sun gathered that the three fire incidents were caused by unadulterated fuel and kerosene popularly called “kpo-fire.”
In the Bonny/Bille incident, eyewitness said about 10 persons lost their lives, a situation that sparked a violent reaction by mob on sighting the fire fervice when they responded to contain the escalation.
Commander of the Federal Fire Service in Rivers State, Abdullahi Audu Alfa, condemned the act, saying efforts must be made to sensitize residents on how to respond to emergencies.
The infernor at the jetty was yet to be put out at the time of filing the report, several hours after.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the boat carried food items and illegally refined petroleum products.
Rivers State Commissioner for Special Duties, Emeka Onowu, who spoke at the D/Line, where the first fire incident occurred, has expressed concerns at the activities of illegal oil dealers. He urged residents to assist government with relevant information to checkmate activities of illegal oil dealers.
“Please, I want to plead with Rivers State people, government cannot do everything for you. It is not possible. No government can do that. Help us in you own little way. Give us information. The Ministry of Special Duties is there; the Ministry of Energy is there. Even if you don’t want people to know, write quietly and send to us.
“Let me make this clear to the public, so that you will know; no state government regulates the production of petroleum. Nobody. It is on the Exclusive List of the president. If somebody can conceive this idea and can do something like this and refine, why can’t Federal Government encourage these boys than importing fuel? Nobody justifies the activities of these boys. Look at what they have caused, destroying property worth billions of naira.”
