• Kano, Kebbi traders lament losses, seek assistance from govt, others
From Desmond Mgboh, Kano and Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
In the dawn hours of Friday, a day when Muslims were celebrating the Sallah festival, a mysterious fire crept in and gutted part of the Kano GSM Market along Farm Centre in the metropolis. The inferno flared through Dan Suliaka Plaza, razing shops and destroying gadgets and accessories worth millions of naira.
The market, renowned for the sale of new and second-hand gadgets, and their repairs, offers jobs to thousands of youth, hence, the outpouring of sorrow and pain in the wake of the fire.
Kano State Fire Service attributed the strange fire to battery explosion. Its public relations officer, Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, said: “The fire burned through both the ground and upper floors of a one-storey building, affecting a total of 47 shops, including temporary ones.
“The fire started from the ground floor of the building, burning 20 permanent shops and 13 temporary shops. It later spread to the upper floor where it destroyed another 13 shops and one temporary shop. By God’s intervention and the efforts of our men, we were able to contain the fire using fire jets.”
He confirmed no life was lost and no one was injured. He urged shop owners and residents to handle batteries and electrical items with care to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Treasurer of the market association, Hassan Saminu, told Daily Sun that the inferno caught them off-guard. He lamented: “By the time we arrived, the fire had spread across many shops.”
Government inaugurated a committee to investigate and manage the aftermath of the recent fire outbreak. The committee, inaugurated by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Umar Farouk Ibrahim, on Tuesday, was tasked to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the fire.
The committee, chaired by Commissioner for Special Duties, Nasiru Sule Garo, included representatives from key ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), security agencies, traders’ associations and the private sector. It was also tasked to assess the extent of damage and recommend practical measures to forestall recurrence.
Speaking of the governor, Ibrahim emphasised the need for a transparent and well-coordinated donation process, warning against any attempt to politicise the support efforts.
For timber traders in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, it was the same sad story. They suffered a tragic fire on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Kara Market, Sani Abacha Bye-Pass, and lost wares valued in millions of naira. Nine timber merchants were identified as victims with cumulative losses of N191.7 million in timber and other accessories.
Jamilu Mahdi was one of the timber traders: “I lost between N60m and N70 million to the fire. I have 12 boys who were working under me before this inferno, and myself. Now we all are jobless because I don’t have any savings to start afresh.” He appealed to the state government and to Nigerians in general to come to their aid.
Shamsu Yusuf: “Currently, I am inside Kara but in reality I am doing nothing, just nothing. I am just loitering around. I lost my shop and all the valuables worth N15 million. What happened was an act of God and I accept the tragedy in good faith. Government should, please, assist us to start afresh. We have families and dependents to feed.”
Deputy Governor, Umar Abubakar Tafida, who inspected the scene of the outbreak, expressed sympathy with the victims. He donated N10 million in the interim to enable the affected traders overcome their losses.
Chairman of the Timber Marketers Association, Bello Dan-Sambo, thanked the deputy governor for the visit, expressing gratitude to Governor Nasir Idris for donating N10 million to his members.
The Tinubu/Kaura Two Times Organisation (TKT) also donated N5 million to the victims. Its managing director, AbdulRahman Manga, handed over the donation during a visit to the victims, saying the donation was aimed at cushioning the effects of the inferno on them.