BREAKING: Fire guts Akim timber market in Calabar, days after gas explosion (video)

A massive fire broke out on Friday night at the Akim Timber Market in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area, Cross River State, just six days after a gas explosion in the same area injured around 60 people.

The blaze, which started at about 8:45 p.m. near the Akim Police Area Command, quickly consumed shops and goods, sending residents and traders into panic as they tried to rescue their belongings. Despite urgent calls for help, neither state nor federal fire services arrived to tackle the fire.

When Very Nigerian visited the scene around 9:15 p.m., policemen from the Akim area were present, but there were no firefighters in sight. Residents of the nearby Akim Police Barracks, which shares a fence with the market, were seen removing valuables from their homes as the fire raged on.

Mrs. Enang Philomena, a local resident, lamented the lack of response.

“The fire service in Cross River is a big joke. We have been calling since the fire started, but there has been no response. If they cannot come in the daytime, how can they respond at night?” she said.

Efforts to obtain official comments from relevant authorities were unsuccessful.

Investigations indicate that response to fires in Cross River State since early 2026 has been abysmally poor. Earlier, during the gas explosion, Emmanuel Ajom, Director of the State Fire Service, said state fire trucks—procured 14 years ago—were under maintenance.

Similarly, Mrs. Olumayowa Olomola, State Commanding Officer of the Federal Fire Service, explained that a federal fire truck was recently vandalized during an operation, and some officers sustained injuries. Despite promises from the state government to repair the truck and treat the injured, no action had been taken months later.

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