Eyewitnesses said that the fire started at about 2.00 am on Tuesday and razed the entire make-shift market. The fire also affected a two storey residential building housing some lock-up stores.

One of the traders, Chimdi Eze, said he lost jewelries worth more than N2 million to the fire.

Eze said that the painful aspect was that he just received stock worth N600, 000 for the Christmas sales.

”I just lost everything to the fire,” he said.

Another trader, Chinecherem Ndubuisi, said he lost electronics worth more than N3 million, adding that starting afresh would be very difficult for him since he did not have enough capital.

Ebere Okoye, a trader and resident of the burnt residential building, who could not control her tears, said her entire life savings and properties had been consumed by the inferno

Ebere, a widow and mother of four, said she did not know how she could provide accommodation for and feed her children.

“Ever since I lost my husband, life has been difficult and will even be harder now that I have lost everything.

“Government and well-meaning Nigerians should come to my aid because as it stands now, the only thing keeping me alive is my children,” she said amidst outburst.

Some others traders said they did not only lose their goods to the inferno, they also lost cash worth several thousands of naira which they left in the market.

They said they normally left the proceeds from their last sales in the shops due to the closure of banks.

Christopher Uwajeh, an eye-witness, who praised the resilience of the firemen, said the Police and men of the State Security Service were at the scene to curtail breakdown of law and order.