A devastating fire incident has destroyed at least 30 shops and property worth millions of naira in Nasarawa State. The incident occurred on Thursday night around 9:30 pm and lasted into the early hours of Friday.
When Chronicles Reporter visited the scene, traders and residents were seen lamenting their losses. According to eyewitness accounts, the fire spread rapidly through the market, consuming everything in its path. Efforts to extinguish the blaze were delayed, reportedly due to heaps of refuse in and around the market, which hampered access for firefighters.
Musa Abdullahi, one of the victims whose shop was completely destroyed, described the situation as devastating. “No one knows the exact cause of the fire,” he said. “It destroyed no fewer than 30 shops, and 70 percent of the affected businesses were tailoring shops. Many of these shops contained brand-new sewing machines. For instance, 40 new sewing machines were delivered to the market just that morning, and they were all lost in the fire.”
Abdullahi added that his father’s three shops, along with those selling clothes and shoes, were also destroyed. He lamented the enormous financial and emotional toll the fire had taken on the traders and their families.
Builder Ombogus-Joshua, the Director of the Nasarawa State Fire Service, confirmed receiving a distress call at 9:30 pm on Thursday. “Our team was dispatched immediately to the scene,” he said. “However, the intense heat and the piles of waste made it difficult for firefighters to contain the flames quickly.”
While he acknowledged the magnitude of the destruction, Ombogus-Joshua disputed the claim that 30 shops were affected. He noted that investigations are ongoing to determine the exact number of shops and the cause of the fire.
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