A multi-million naira palm kernel oil extracting industry located at the Onuebonyi axis of Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, was gutted by fire, resulting in significant losses. The fire destroyed palm kernels worth over N170 million, refined and unrefined oil, and a Sienna bus.
Mr. Emmanuel Alinchi, the Executive Director of the industry, reported that he noticed fire and smoke emissions at 1:17 a.m. Despite the swift response from the fire service, the entire structure was already engulfed in flames by the time they arrived.
Mr. Alinchi appealed to the state government for intervention, highlighting that all the extracting machines in the industry were destroyed by the fire.
A relative of the victim, Mr. Hillary Alinchi, stated that the cause of the fire remains unknown as it occurred during the night. He emphasized that the fire could have spread to other private buildings in the area if not for the resilience of the firefighters who arrived promptly.
“The palm kernels alone are worth more than N170 million. Then you have the refined and unrefined oil, the building, and even a Toyota Sienna that were all destroyed. The machines were all burnt. If you add the machines, building, and other things burnt, it will be close to N500 million,” he lamented.
He mentioned that about fifty workers had lost their jobs as a result of the inferno and appealed to Governor Francis Nwifuru to invoke the spirit of the People’s Charter of Needs to resuscitate the industry.
The Director of the State Fire Service, Mr. Raphael Ibiam, stated that his team arrived on time but noted that the industry was packed with combustible materials. He, however, pointed out that no lives were lost in the incident.
