Fire Razes Buildings, Stores in Anambra
The Nwafor Plaza, off Oby Okoli Avenue, by UNIZIK Junction, Okpuno Road, Awka, and Igiligi Lane, off Godwill Junction, Okpuno, Awka South LGA of Anambra State, were the locations of two distinct midnight fire outbreaks.
According to information obtained, the fire at Igiligi Lane started at around 12:08 p.m. on Tuesday, while the fire at Nwafor Plaza began at approximately 11:05 p.m.
Before the state fire service’s workers arrived and fought to put out the fire and stop it from spreading to other nearby structures, it was reported that the fire had destroyed at least four stores and set the buildings on fire.
The fire destroyed the goods and property at the stores, despite the fact that no casualties were reported in either incident.
The cause of the fire at Igiligi Lane is still being investigated, but witnesses close to the scene said that the fire at Nwafor Plaza began after power was restored and was caused by a power surge.
“Residents and neighbors made desperate attempts to put out the fire after it began with smoke rising from one of the plaza’s corners and quickly intensified before we realized what was happening.”
“But regrettably, before the firefighters arrived, some stores that sold textile materials had been impacted.”
The Anambra State Fire Service’s Media and Publicity Unit, under the leadership of Chukwudi Chiketa, confirmed both incidents in a statement when contacted about the development on Wednesday. It also stated that firefighters arrived at the scenes with firefighting equipment as soon as they received distress calls.
In order to ensure that the Service continues to be dedicated to safeguarding lives and property throughout the state, Chiketa counseled locals and business owners to conduct routine safety inspections of their properties and to promptly report any fire incident to the closest fire station.
The statement said, “On February 24, 2026, the Anambra State Fire Service promptly responded to a distress call reporting a fire outbreak at Nwafor Plaza, located off Oby Okoli Avenue, by UNIZIK Junction – Okpuno road, Awka.”
“Firefighters were sent to the scene right away to contain the situation after the Service received the emergency call at precisely 2308 hours.
“A preliminary investigation found that a power surge was the cause of the fire. The outbreak was effectively contained by the firefighters’ prompt action, which stopped it from spreading to other areas of the building.
“Before the fire was contained, it had affected two stores. At 2359 hours on the same day, firefighters safely left the scene after concluding their operations.
“To avoid future occurrences, the Anambra State Fire Service encourages the public to adopt preventative safety measures, such as installing surge protectors and conducting routine electrical inspections.
“The Service is still dedicated to protecting people and property throughout the state.”
“The Anambra State Fire Service responded swiftly to a distress call reporting a fire outbreak at Igiligi Lane, off Godwill Junction, Okpuno, in the early hours of 25th February 2026,” Chiketa said in reference to the Igiligi Lane fire.
“Firefighters were dispatched to the scene right away after receiving the emergency call at 0008 hours.
“Firefighters started fighting the fire as soon as they arrived, and they were able to contain it and stop it from spreading to nearby buildings and properties.
“Before the fire was put out, two stores were impacted. At the time of this report, the cause of the fire is still unknown and will be investigated further.
“Firefighters safely left the scene that same day after concluding their operations.
“Residents and business owners are advised by the Anambra State Fire Service to conduct routine safety inspections of their properties and to promptly report any fire incidents to the closest fire station. The Service is still dedicated to safeguarding people and property throughout the state.”
