Imo Assembly urges urgent overhaul of Fire Service after Eke-Okigwe market inferno

The Imo State House of Assembly has called for the immediate rehabilitation of the Okigwe Fire Service Station and the reconstruction of the affected sections of Eke-Okigwe Market following the devastating fire that razed parts of the commercial hub, leaving traders counting heavy losses and exposing the state’s weak emergency response system.

The resolution followed a motion presented during plenary on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, by the member representing Okigwe State Constituency, Chidiebere Ogbunikpa, a day after a fire outbreak engulfed sections of the popular Eke-Okigwe Market on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, destroying goods and property worth millions of naira.

The motion received overwhelming support from lawmakers, who urged Governor Hope Uzodimma to direct the Commissioner for Works to immediately rehabilitate the dilapidated Okigwe Fire Service Station, provide modern firefighting trucks, ensure adequate water supply, deploy trained personnel and reconstruct the affected portions of the market.

Presenting the motion, Ogbunikpa described the incident as a painful reminder of the urgent need to strengthen emergency response infrastructure across the state.

“There is an urgent need for a functional Fire Service Station in every Local Government Area of Imo State to ensure prompt response to fire emergencies,” he said.

He lamented that despite Okigwe serving as the headquarters of Okigwe Senatorial Zone, the area lacks a functional Fire Service Station, operational firefighting trucks and a reliable water source needed to combat fire outbreaks.

According to him, the absence of these critical facilities contributed to the scale of destruction recorded during the inferno.

“Had these facilities been available, the magnitude of the destruction and the millions of naira reportedly lost by traders could have been significantly reduced through timely intervention,” Ogbunikpa stated.

He disclosed that the incident affected the livelihoods of numerous traders and their families.

“More than 100 families were directly affected by the inferno,” he said, warning that similar disasters could occur in other parts of the state if urgent preventive measures are not taken.

He stressed that investing in functional fire stations across the 27 local government areas of Imo State would not only improve emergency response but also protect lives, businesses and public infrastructure.

Several lawmakers who contributed to the debate expressed concern over what they described as the poor state of emergency preparedness in Okigwe.

Among those who spoke in support of the motion were Innocent Ikpamezie, Samuel Osuji and Johnleoba Iheoha, who noted that Eke-Okigwe Market is one of the busiest commercial centres in the area and that the fire had inflicted enormous financial losses on traders whose businesses were destroyed.

Following extensive deliberations, the Assembly resolved to urge Governor Uzodimma to direct the Commissioner for Works to immediately repair and upgrade the Okigwe Fire Service Station to modern standards with the provision of new firefighting trucks and other essential equipment to improve operational efficiency.

The lawmakers also appealed to the state government to undertake a comprehensive reconstruction of the affected sections of Eke-Okigwe Market and consider providing compensation to traders whose goods were destroyed by the fire.

The plenary was presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Amara Iwuanyanwu.

The motion was co-sponsored by Uba James, Kennedy Osuji, Bernard Ozoemelam, Ikenna Ihezuo, Johnson Iheonukara, Okechukwu Udeze, Dominic Ezerioha and Samuel Otuibe.

As of Thursday, July 2, 2026, no official statement had been issued by the Imo State Fire Service on the cause of the fire, while the monetary value of the destroyed goods had yet to be officially assessed. Authorities have also not announced any casualties in connection with the incident.