Neighbours trade blames over fire disaster in Abuja

N20m goods destroyed   A trader in Kubwa town in Bwari Area Council of the FCT, Nelson Nzema, has accused his neighbour for being responsible for a fire which destroyed his furniture materials shop on Sunday. Speaking to Abuja Metro yesterday, the trader said, “My neighbour invited a welder on Friday. The welder mounted an iron […]

• N20m goods destroyed

 

A trader in Kubwa town in Bwari Area Council of the FCT, Nelson Nzema, has accused his neighbour for being responsible for a fire which destroyed his furniture materials shop on Sunday.

Speaking to Abuja Metro yesterday, the trader said, “My neighbour invited a welder on Friday. The welder mounted an iron signboard on top of his shop. I had to stand behind to monitor the work due to the sparks of fire that emanated from the welding work that continued to fall around my mattresses.

“The day’s work finished perfectly and there was no harm to my goods. But unfortunately, the man returned on Sunday when he didn’t expect me to come along with other neighbours to continue with the welding work at the same location.

“All of a sudden, I started receiving phone calls around 4pm on Sunday, that my shop was on fire. I was on my way to the city centre for a meeting at the time. I had to drive back immediately, and on getting back I found that everything was razed down by fire. There was a team of fire fighters that arrived but couldn’t put out the fire.”

He put the value of the destroyed goods at N20m, and that he reported the matter at the Kubwa Police Division, where according to him, the neighbour refused to take responsibility. ]\

He further said, “My neighbor is pointing fingers at the welder; insisting that he handed everything regarding the job to him and as such the welder should take responsibility.

Reacting, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kubwa, CSP Paul Lazarus, who confirmed the incident, said the police were making efforts to get to the welder.