Major Inferno Destroys Calabar Timber Market; Police Confirm No Fatalities Following Successful Five-Hour Containment Operation

Police confirm no fatalities after a massive fire destroyed the Akim Timber Market in Calabar. Preliminary reports link the March 27 blaze to an electrical fault.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 28, 2026, 9:35 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Guardian Nigeria

Emergency Response and Containment at Akim Timber Market

The Cross River State Police Command has officially addressed the aftermath of a severe fire outbreak that decimated a significant portion of the Akim Timber Market in Calabar. The emergency began at approximately 8:30 PM on Friday, March 27, 2026, quickly escalating due to the highly combustible nature of the inventory stored on-site. Commissioner of Police Rashid Afegbua personally took command of the scene, coordinating a joint task force to manage the perimeter and facilitate firefighting efforts. Despite the intensity of the blaze, the collaborative intervention of multiple agencies ensured that the physical destruction was limited to the market's commercial structures.

A Collaborative Firefighting Effort

The suppression of the inferno was the result of a coordinated operation involving the Nigeria Police Force, the Cross River State Fire Service, and the University of Calabar Fire Service. These teams battled the flames for over five hours, eventually achieving full containment at approximately 1:55 AM on Saturday, March 28. A primary objective of the tactical units was to prevent the fire from leaping to the nearby police barracks, a mission that was successfully accomplished. The strategic deployment of patrol teams ensured that the area remained secure throughout the night, preventing looting or further injury during the chaos of the evacuation.

Preliminary Investigation Points to Electrical Failure

While a comprehensive forensic analysis is ongoing, preliminary evidence suggests that the disaster was not a result of arson. Police Public Relations Officer ASP Sunday Eitokpah stated that the fire allegedly originated from a spark within the public power supply infrastructure serving the market. This electrical fault ignited the surrounding timber and construction materials, which served as immediate fuel for the rapid spread of the flames. The Command has now officially opened an investigation to confirm these initial findings and to assess the structural integrity of the remaining market facilities.