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Ubiaja Community Protests Removal of Fire Truck After Spare Parts Market Razed, Goods Worth Millions Destroyed
Residents of Ubiaja are demanding the return of their community fire truck after a weekend blaze destroyed goods worth millions of naira.
A weekend fire that tore through a spare parts market in Ubiaja, Esan South‑West Local Government Area, has sparked fury not just over the destruction — but over the absence of the one asset that might have contained it. On Saturday evening, May 16, as traders were closing up, flames erupted and swept through rows of shops. Locals rushed to fight the fire with buckets, but the community's fire truck — a constituency project facilitated by a former House of Representatives member — was nowhere to be found.
The truck, residents say, had been relocated to the Benin Airport on what was described as a "special assignment." Its absence, they believe, turned what could have been a contained incident into a catastrophe. Goods worth several millions of naira were lost. Livelihoods built over years disappeared in smoke. And with no official explanation that satisfies the community, grief has hardened into protest.
Youths from Esan South‑West have now called on political leaders to ensure the immediate return of the truck to Ubiaja. Their demand is not just about a vehicle; it is about the principle that community‑designated assets should serve the communities they were meant for. "We will not accept a situation where our safety equipment is taken away without consultation, and then a disaster happens," one youth leader said. The warning is clear: if the truck is not returned, the protests will continue — and the next time a fire breaks out, the community will know exactly who to blame.
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