Lamentations of Haruna Market fire victims Onitsha as billions go up in flames

Some traders don’t take precautionary measures seriously. They dismiss it, saying it’s a waste of time. But if we had fire extinguishers, we could have minimized the damage – Odike

 

Maduako Igbokwe I Monday, April 07,2025

 

ONITSHA, Anambra – Victims of the devastating fire outbreak at 19A Ifejika Street, Haruna Market in Onitsha continue to mourn the loss of goods worth billions of naira that were destroyed in a warehouse owned by Heepo Global Limited.

Heepo Global Limited, an international organization with regional headquarters in Indonesia, China, and Nigeria, operates with its main headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria, and offices in various states, including Onitsha, Anambra State. Recently, one of its warehouses at 19A Ifejika Street, Haruna Market, caught fire, consuming goods worth tens of billions of naira.

Heepo Global Limited operates warehouses in both China and Nigeria, from which goods are shipped and distributed across Nigeria.

The victims of the fire, many of whom are traders in the market, spoke with our correspondent, expressing their deep sorrow over the destruction of their livelihoods and calling on the government and charitable individuals to come to their aid to support their families.

Speaking to our correspondent, Mike Odike, the Chairman of Ifejika Street Haruna Market, described the loss as staggering, estimating the value of goods destroyed to be in billions—possibly even reaching a trillion naira.

He reported that around 600 bales of clothes, along with others were consumed by the inferno, rendering many traders incapable of continuing their businesses.

“A single bale of clothes is worth over N20 million. This disaster has made many traders in the market ineffective,” he stated.

According to Odike, the fire started between 4:30 and 5:00 AM. Upon receiving the call from the security officer, he immediately contacted the fire service, but their response was delayed.

“I quickly found the fire service number and called them, though they arrived late. After calling the fire service, I posted the incident on the market platform, and others started calling as well. Had the firemen arrived earlier, the damage could have been minimized,” he said.

Odike also noted that the financial losses were enormous, with many people grieving and feeling hopeless. The four-story building housing the warehouse had collapsed, and the fire was still burning.

When asked if there were any suspicions about the cause of the fire, he stated that while human error cannot be ruled out, the building’s security might have contributed to the situation. He pointed out that the back of the building was not fenced and was porous, making it easier for someone to potentially cause harm.

“The security guard did not allow people to salvage their goods, which only made the situation worse. He locked the gate, frustrating people who could have helped reduce the damage,” Odike said.

He believes that the security guard should have allowed people in to save goods while directing them from outside.

While Odike did not blame the security guard for the fire, he acknowledged that human negligence might have played a role. He also suggested that the clothes stored in the warehouse, often bundled in large bales, could have sparked the fire due to the weight of the clothing, potentially causing a short circuit.

Addressing the claims regarding the building’s electricity, Odike asserted that although the warehouse may not have been connected to electricity, the four-story building itself had power.

“The four-story building that collapsed had electricity, and someone was living on the top floor,” he explained.

On the subject of safety measures, Odike emphasized the importance of fire extinguishers in shops. He said he had been urging traders to equip their shops with fire extinguishers, but many have been dismissive.

“Some traders don’t take precautionary measures seriously. They dismiss it, saying it’s a waste of time. But if we had fire extinguishers, we could have minimized the damage,” he said.

Odike also revealed that the neighboring four-story building had suffered severe damage and might need to be demolished.

He expressed concern that even though the owner should have installed fire extinguishers, there was no one to operate them once the business closed.

When asked about insurance, Odike stated that most traders do not have insurance. He also expressed his belief that insurance companies in Nigeria have a poor reputation, citing the negative experiences many Nigerians have had. “Ideally, Heepo Global Limited should have insurance to cover their business,” he said.

Odike, a former staff member of the Concord newspaper, lamented that the fire service in Onitsha is inadequate, revealing that fire personnel had to be called from Asaba in Delta State to respond to the fire.

One of the victims, Mr. Malachy Nzeka, a trader in the market, spoke of his personal loss, which he estimated at over N30 million.

“I lost 13 bags of clothes in the fire, and it has severely affected my business. I am just trying to manage,” he explained.

Nzeka pleaded for government and individual assistance to help him recover from the crisis.

“I am disorganized by this incident and don’t know what to do. I am pleading for help from the government and wealthy individuals,” he said.

Amadi Igwe Nnadi, the Treasurer of the market, also shared his experience, revealing that he lost 1,900 pieces of clothing worth N27 million.

“My shop is empty now, and I am not a wealthy person to have lost this much. This loss has greatly affected my life,” he said.

He urged both the federal and state governments to intervene and assist them. He also suggested that a committee be set up to investigate the cause of the fire to prevent future incidents.

Nnadi was also critical of the delayed response from the fire service, stating that if they had arrived sooner, the damage could have been reduced.

“The fire service needs to be better prepared for such emergencies,” he said.

On the issue of insurance, Nnadi confirmed that no traders had insurance policies and stated that the responsibility for the losses lay solely with them. However, he hoped that Heepo Global Limited, as the warehouse owner, might have insurance to cover the damage.

He also mentioned that the owners of Heepo Global Limited had not contacted the traders to address the situation, leaving them in a state of uncertainty. “We are waiting for the company to officially address us,” Nnadi said.

The CEO of Heepo Global Limited, Mr. Azuka Elochukwu, spoke briefly to our correspondent via phone, expressing his shock and disbelief at the disaster. “I am at a loss for words. I was not at the scene when the incident occurred, and nobody can explain exactly what happened. Honestly, I don’t know what to tell you,” he said.

When asked if he suspected sabotage, Elochukwu denied any such possibility, stating that the warehouse had no electricity and therefore could not have caused a fire surge. He also dismissed the idea that dynamite might have been involved, stating that only textiles and clothing were stored in the warehouse.

Hon. Mbachu Emeka, Chairman of Sokoto Road Market, Onitsha, offered advice to traders, urging them to take responsibility for their own safety.

“If you have N10 million in business, you should be able to contribute N10,000 for fire safety in the market. We cannot always rely on the government to provide everything,” he said.

Speaking on the fire outbreak, the secretary to Onitsha south local government area, Mr Paul Onuachalla said there about fires service in the council to address fire disaster.

According to him,they have in their budget to buy another fire service vehicle within the year, noting that they just passed the Council budget.

He blamed the traders for not taking bore cautionary step to o safeguard their goods in the market, noting that every should be able to provide a functional fire extinguisher.

“When you tell them to buy and provide fire extinguisher in their shops,they will tell you God forbid,that it is not their portions. If they had provided fire extinguisher in their shops,the level of damages would not have been much. God helps those who help themselves. Our people need to take precautionary measures in their businesses ” he said .

During a visit to the site, some individuals criticized Heepo Global Limited for failing to install adequate safety measures, such as fire extinguishers, in their warehouse. They expressed concern that the fire outbreak could force many traders out of business.

Despite the gravity of the situation, when approached for comments, some of the individuals at the scene declined to speak, citing their reluctance to talk to journalists.