An early morning fire, on Wednesday, gutted the popular Roky Fella Night Club, located at Udoji Street, Kpirikpiri, Abakaliki, destroying property worth millions of naira.
The Ebonyi Chief Fire Officer, Mr Raphael Ibiam, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said he received distress call about the incident around 6.30am.
Ibiam said that the cause of the inferno had yet to be ascertained.
According to him, the fire razed valuable property in the building, which consists of a bar, restaurant and the club at the centre.
“Items lost to the inferno included a generator, three big refrigerators, a bush bar, drinks and empty crates, among others,” he said.
Ibiam said that no life was lost in the incident as his men responded promptly to contain the fire from escalating.
“We were not called early enough and when I got the information, I immediately mobilised my men to the scene.
“Unfortunately, the fire had burnt down the entire club house.
“We did our best to prevent it from extending to other nearby houses,” Ibiam said.
A resident of the area, Mr Casmir Eze, described the incident as a great loss to them, saying that the outfit provided economic support and jobs for residents of the area.
“Since the club was established, it has provided economic support to many people, giving jobs to young school leavers in the area and beyond,” Eze said.
Another resident, Mr Justin Ibe, expressed surprise over the incident, saying that there was no fire when he passed the area for his morning jogging
“It is surprising to see that such an ugly incident had happened within a few minutes.
“I passed through here at about 6:03am and there was no fire at that time but it was surprising when I heard that the building was razed under 20 minutes.
“The fire was possible because the structure was made with fibre and tarpaulin materials, so it could be flammable,” Ibe said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other items destroyed by the inferno included television sets, air conditioners, electronic gadgets, musical equipment and assorted drinks, amongst other property.
