NEWS
Fire Razes Goods Worth Billions At Nkwo Nnewi Market
In the early hours of Tuesday, a devastating fire broke out at Nkwo Nnewi Market, the largest market in Nnewi, Anambra State, destroying goods worth billions of naira
The inferno, which threatened to consume the entire market, was contained after a coordinated emergency response led by Prof. Joseph Ugboaja, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi.
The fire, which broke out before dawn, jolted traders and residents of the industrial town awake as flames spread rapidly through the affected section.
Witnesses said the situation could have escalated to a catastrophic loss of goods and property worth trillions of naira if not for the intervention of the NAUTH fire-fighting team.
Prof. Ugboaja mobilized five fire trucks and personnel from the hospital’s fire department to battle the blaze.
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After more than five hours of intense firefighting, the flames were extinguished, preventing the fire from spreading to other parts of the market.
A trader, Donald Okafor, described the incident as a wake-up call for the community. “The traders were jolted by the fire because they knew what they would have lost if it affected other parts of the market. But thank God for the intervention of the CMD of NAUTH, who single-handedly mobilized firefighters to save the day,” he said.
Another trader, Okechukwu Okonkwo, commended the efforts of NAUTH and its fire-fighting team.
“While I must commend the volunteers who tried their best to extinguish the fire, the management of NAUTH should be praised for responding swiftly to the distress call. Prof. Ugboaja’s leadership and the professionalism of his team showcased the importance of having a well-equipped fire-fighting department.”
Okonkwo also noted the critical role played by NAUTH’s recent investments in emergency response infrastructure.
“Since Prof. Ugboaja assumed office, NAUTH has maintained a fully functional fire-fighting unit. This preparedness saved Nnewi from losing its prized economic heartbeat,” he said.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined as of the time of filing this report. Efforts to reach the chairman of the market for comments were unsuccessful.
Traders and residents have expressed relief that the fire did not spread further.
“It would have been a terrible and devastating news if the fire engulfed all sections of Nkwo Nnewi Market. Goods and shops worth trillions of naira would have been destroyed,” Okafor added.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reacted to a fresh financial controversy involving former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate Peter Obi, after the Anambra State Government released records detailing loans and other liabilities it said were linked to his administration.
Keyamo, in a post on X on Wednesday, September 16, reacted to the development with a brief remark “This is serious.”
The reaction came shortly after the Anambra Government published a three-page statement titled “Gov Peter Obi and Record of Public Debt in Anambra: Facts Beyond Propaganda and Lies.”
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In the statement, the state government said Obi’s administration left behind eight external borrowings when he left office on March 17, 2014.
According to the government, the loans had an original combined value of $123.77 million, while the outstanding balance stood at $92.35 million as of June 30, 2026, equivalent to about ₦127.37 billion at the official exchange rate.
The loans listed included projects covering malaria control, healthcare, education, erosion and watershed management, community development and agricultural value-chain development.
The government said the loans were being serviced by subsequent administrations.
The state also challenged Obi’s claim that he left more than ₦2.13 billion in an ecological fund before leaving office.
Anambra Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Law Mefor, said the government obtained a certified printout of the First Bank account identified by Obi and claimed that it was an internally generated revenue consolidated account rather than an ecological fund account.
He further said the government’s records did not show the ₦2.13 billion balance claimed by Obi.
The government also disputed Obi’s claim that his administration left office without outstanding salaries, pensions and gratuities. It said the Soludo administration had cleared about ₦22 billion in inherited gratuity arrears, while alleging that some liabilities involving retired teachers and Water Corporation workers remained.
The latest claims followed Obi’s rejection of earlier allegations concerning his administration’s financial record.
Obi had maintained that his government cleared historical arrears and said that, at the point of handover, the state owed nothing in salaries, gratuities, pensions or certified contractor obligations.
He also said the ecological fund was deliberately left untouched for the incoming administration because it was meant for a specific erosion project.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Ilorin, Kwara State, for the turbaning of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the Sardauna of Ilorin and the commissioning of the Kwara Garment Factory.
The Vice President’s arrival was disclosed on Wednesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.
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Shettima was received by Governor AbdulRazaq and other dignitaries, including Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris.
The governors are in Ilorin to show solidarity with AbdulRazaq, who also serves as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, as he receives the traditional title from the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, at the Emir’s Palace.
Shettima is also expected to commission the Kwara Garment Factory, one of the state’s major industrial projects aimed at boosting local production and creating employment opportunities.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has announced that unregistered commercial tricycles and buses will no longer be allowed to operate on roads across the state from October 1, 2026.
The governor disclosed this on Wednesday while announcing a September 30 deadline for all commercial tricycle and bus operators to complete their registration and obtain identification numbers and QR codes.
According to the governor, the directive is part of measures to strengthen security and ensure that commercial transport operators can be properly identified and tracked where necessary.
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The governor said, “I have directed all commercial tricycle and bus operators in Akwa Ibom State to complete their registration and obtain identification numbers and QR codes on or before September 30, 2026.
“After the deadline, no unregistered public transport vehicle will be allowed to operate on our roads.
“This is part of our effort to strengthen security and ensure that commercial transport operators can be properly identified and tracked where necessary.”
The governor also inspected several ongoing projects and facilities, including the CNG Bus Terminal, Victor Attah International Airport Hospital, Aviation Staff Quarters and Dakkada Luxury Estate.
He said work was progressing at the facilities, adding that the CNG transport facilities were expected to become operational by November.
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