Shop owners, traders lose property worth millions of Naira to market fires in Katsina, Zamfara

*Early morning fire outbreak has destroyed over 100 shops, and consumer items including provisions, foodstuffs in large quantities, and books at the famous Katsina Central Market, in Katsina State

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

A fire outbreak has destroyed shops numbering over 100 at the famous Katsina Central Market in an early morning Monday, March 22.

Kaseem Abubakar, an eyewitness and one of the shop owners in the market affected market, told Channels Television that several items worth millions of Naira were lost in the inferno.

Abubakar said items destroyed in his shop include provisions, foodstuffs in large quantities, and books.

Market fire at Katsina Central Market   Photo: Channels TV

According to the shop owner, the fire started from the Unity Bank branch located in heart of the market at about 7:30 a.m., and it further spread to other stalls.

Another trader in the market who simply identified himself as Saheed attributed the fire to the gas cylinders sold in one of the shops.

The trader said further that a loud noise like that of an explosion was heard when the fire started.

Combined officers of the Federal and State Fire Service were seen making frantic effort at putting out the fire, while many traders and onlookers were busy trying to salvage whatever were left behind in their burnt stalls, as of the time of filing the report.

In a related development, property worth millions of Naira and over 60 shops have been destroyed following a Saturday midnight fire outbreak at the TudunWada Market, in Gusau, Zamfara State capital.

Lawali Bello, Chairman of the market, disclosed that the fire was caused by an electrical fault in one of the shops, and it eventually spread to other shops, destroying over 60 shops in the process.

Traders, who were victims of the inferno in the morning Sunday, March 21 visited the market, counting their losses.

Meanwhile, the affected shop owners and traders also called on the government to intervene and assuage their situation.

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State also visited the scene of the fire outbreak Sunday to assess the level of damage.

The governor sympathised with the victims over the unfortunate development and asked them to see the situation as the will of God.

He promised to assist the victims with some money to immediately restart business somewhere else, pending the reconstruction of the burnt shops, according to report.

Matawalle has directed the immediate reconstruction of the market into modern shops, in order to enable the affected traders to have a befitting environment to do their businesses.

Report noted that about 10 months ago, part of the same Tudun Wada Market in the state was gutted by fire, which resulted in the loss of properties worth millions of Naira.

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