Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the early morning inferno that razed down shops in Ogoja in the northern part of the state.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident, however, declined to mention the casualty or value of properties destroyed in the fire.
An eye witness who preferred to be anonymous, however, told AIT that at least nine shops were razed by the fire which occurred at the Headquarters of Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State.
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He said the incident, which occurred at about 8:00 a.m. Saturday, affected shops located along the Federal Science College, Abakpa Ogboja.
Commodity shops including a supermarket were said to be lost to the fire which cause could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
Another eye witness, Abdullahi Baba, who was at the scene of the incident when the fire started, said all efforts to call the Cross River State Fire Service were not successful T.
The affected shops owners have called on the federal and state government and other intervention agencies including public spirited individuals to come to their aid.