By Correspondent in Lokoja.
Diamond Plaza, a notable shopping centre housing more than 30 shops, including Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) office, located in Gadumo in Lokoja, Wednesday, escaped being razed by inferno by divine intervention.
The Correspondent of The Reporters in Lokoja fathered that the inferno, however razed completely the shop at the entrance of the plaza with property worth thousands of naira destroyed.
Our Correspondent gathered that the the fire started around 3 30 p.m on when the transformer serving the plaza sparked.
Speaking with The Reporters in a telephone interview with the online publication in Lokoja, the caretaker for the Plaza,Mr Austin Modu, attributed the problem to the handwork of thieves.
According to him, the men of the under world stormed the plaza in the night, siphoned the oil in the transformer thus resulting in its spark that reduced it ashes.
He said, while no one could say when the problem would be solved and light restored, efforts would soon commence to make it a reality in no too distant future.
As at the time of this report, generating sets have taken over the function of supplying energy to many shops in the plaza,for tenants who could afford such extra cost of running their businesses.
A tenant, who owns car washing outfit within the plaza, Mr Matthias Omale, who also spoke with our Correspondent on the issue, stressed the need for the strengthening of security in the plaza,by the management of the plaza to check activities of thieves.
” There is the need for the people around the vicinity of the plaza to have security meeting where important steps will be taken to employ the services of local security men to look after the plaza and even houses around the area,” he urged.
According to sources, thieves made similar attempt on the transformer about two weeks ago,the issue was reported to the appropriate authority but no action take to avert reoccurrence.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 100 houses whose occupants make use of the transformer, have been thrown in to darkness with no end in sight.
