By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
TWO black-caftan-wearing arsonists have thrown shop owners into penury by setting on fire their shops and wares in Warri.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday along Palm-Groove road in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The agent of darkness surreptitiously stole into the area at around 3:00a.m, soaked the building housing eight shops with petrol and ignited fire on it.
Palm-Groove is less than three minutes drive from B’ Division of the Warri Area Command of the Delta State Police Command.
The arsonists, believed to be in their 20s, carried out the dastardly act with sympathisers still wondering what their motive could be.
Mission accomplished, the marauders reportedly dissolved into thick darkness.
Sympathisers at the scene
The building with its shops containing goods and other valuables running into millions of naira, were burnt down to its foundation.
Distressed owners of the shops, who had arrived the scene to behold their destroyed livelihoods in the early year, were sighted sobbing and wailing uncontrollably.
Their efforts to kick-start the new year amid the current economic hardships in the country were dashed by satanic agents.
One of the victims and owner of an eatery, said he woke up around 3:00a.m as a result of an initial petrol smell.
According to him, he saw the arsonists carrying out the wicked act and fleeing the scene before he could raise the alarm.
He said: “I smelled some petrol odour in the early hours of today around 3:00a.m. And I was wondering because I don’t use fuel.
“Worried, I rushed outside to see where the odour was coming from. Then I saw two boys in black caftan throw fire into the shops,” the witness said in pidgin.
When our reporter visited the scene Monday morning, sympathisers were still gathered and discussing in hush voices at the scene.
Some owners of the shops were making frantic efforts, amid bellowing flames, to see if they could rescued some of their wares most of which were already charred.
Smoke was still puffing up from the wasted building harbouring the shops.
The charred goods and other valuables have become the lot of a struggling people whose salvation lies solely of their efforts.
Fire fighters stationed at Ogboru Street were not on hand, neither was any police man sighted.
Deliberate impoverishing of hustling traders in Warri has become a pastime for insolent characters who take delight, out of sheer wickedness or envy, to torch markets and shops harbouring fortunes in the dark of the night with no scapegoat caught by security agents to serve as a deterrent to others..
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