Akim police barracks saved as fire guts timber market

A midnight inferno that raged for over six hours has destroyed the Akim timber market in Calabar, consuming large quantities of timber and other goods, with total losses yet to be fully determined.

The fire, which broke out late on March 27, 2026, threatened to spread to the nearby Akim Police Barracks but was successfully contained through the combined efforts of police personnel and emergency responders.

In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, the command commended the swift and coordinated response that prevented the blaze from engulfing the barracks.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Rashid Afegbua, who personally led the operation, oversaw efforts that brought the fire under control.

The inferno was eventually extinguished at about 1:55 a.m. on March 28, 2026, over six hours later.

According to the statement, the fire started at about 8:30 p.m. within the timber market located beside the police barracks, with preliminary findings pointing to a spark from public power supply as the likely cause.

“Upon receipt of the report, a swift and coordinated response was initiated. Police personnel, including patrol teams and tactical units, were immediately deployed to the scene,” the statement said.

Firefighters from the Cross River State Fire Service, supported by the University of Calabar Fire Service, joined in battling the blaze, helping to contain its spread.

Sources confirmed that no lives were lost, as most traders had closed for the day before the incident, though many rushed back in a desperate attempt to salvage their goods.

The police, however, confirmed that properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in the fire, which largely affected timber and related materials.

Authorities say investigations into the exact cause of the fire are ongoing, with further updates expected.

Akim police barracks saved as fire guts timber market