4 days into New Year: Fire razes 70 shops in ultra-modern market

…Uproar as similar incidents occurred in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 …Multi million naira goods destroyed as traders count loses No fewer than 70 shops have been gutted by an early morning fire destroying goods worth over millions of naira at the Abdulkhadir Kure Ultra-Modern Market in Minna, Niger State. The latest outbreak of fire in Kure Market is not the first as traders recalled that same was recorded in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and February 2018. The fire which started on Friday by 6am destroyed clothing, palm and groundnut oil produces worth millions of naira. It was gathered that the fire started from a tea and noodles seller popularly called ‘Mai Shia’ whose extension shop is very close to the palm oil shops’ block. The intervention of the security and men of the state fire service was said to have curtailed the raging fire from consuming more shops. The fire which later reignited and spread to more shops at about 11am was said to have started from a locked shop. The immediate cause of the fire incident was not known, however, it was speculated that the ‘Mai Sha’ (tea seller) must have left his stove on and went for an early morning prayers thereby leaving the fire unattended to. Some affected shop owners, who spoke to our correspondent, said they lost goods and cash stocked in the shops because they could not go to the bank owing to the fact that they closed late. One of the affected victims who is also the Chairman of the Kure Market Traders Association, Alhaji Yusuf, said he lost a complete truck of palm oil loaded of four hundred gallons worth N10,000 each making a total of forty million naira (N40,000,000). He said until full assessment is carried out, the estimated loss will be close to N800 million. The traders complained that if not for the congestion in the market, the fire would have been put off on time with less damages. One of the shop owners, Alhassan Husseini, said that he has lost goods worth over N1 million and cash of over N300,000 to the fire incident. The state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Gubernatorial candidate, Umar Nasko, visited the scene and sympathised with affected shop owners. Governor Sani Bello said all temporary shops will be relocated to avoid future occurrences, adding, “We will work together with the market committee to ensure fire outbreaks are curtailed.” Nasko while assuring that when voted into power by February this year, said he will construct kiosk for tea sellers separately, adding that it is unfortunate the fire incident happened at this critical times. The Police Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Police Command, DSP, Muhammad Abubakar, who was at the scene of the incident, however declined to make comments. When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ibrahim Yahaya, said assessment is ongoing and that the cause of the fire cannot be ascertained until after investigations. Saka Bolaji, Minna