• Traders count losses, seek intervention of Plateau govt.
By Jude Dangwam, Jos
The recent fire outbreak at the Jos Terminus Market that destroyed over 500 shops has left so many traders counting their losses and others nursing their wounds in a state of hopelessness, especially those who were not lucky enough to remove any goods from their shops.
When Daily Sun visited the burnt market days after the incident, some traders were seen pushing beyond boundaries already, picking the pieces of their lives and reconstructing their shops from the ashes of the fire.
Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, a father of 10 with two wives and a victim said he managed to come into the burnt market with crutches to see things for himself as he recuperates from an accident he had during Ramadan. He told Daily Sun that his life has been scattered by the fire incident.
He said: “I was involved in an accident during the Ramadan season and have been receiving medical care. While recuperating, I was told that fire has burnt the market. The little money I have, I ordered for goods with it, so my shop had goods worth over N7 million. So, when I heard that the market got burnt, I have to come and see things for myself.
“As it is now, I don’t have anything and I really don’t know where to start from. We were told to go back to our respective spaces. So, upon reaching here, we heard that we should hold on and that instruction further raises anger among our people here in the market.
“Sometimes if I come here, somebody will say take N100 for transport, take N200 to buy something and take home. I came here because we were told to go back to our respective spaces; only to reach here and was told that we should hold on. I want to believe that this is not coming from the governor.
“This government is good. I am sure people around are trying to take advantage of this. I know this governor is a man of goodwill and won’t allowed us to suffer like that.”
Another victim, Mrs. Juliet Ndubuisi, a mother of four, who sells articles such as bags, umbrellas, leathers and similar packaging goods recounted her pains of losing everything she worked for over the years running into millions of Naira worth of goods to the fire.
She said: “The very day the incident happened, I flooded my shop with over twenty bales of dynamo bags and all of them were burnt. I didn’t remove even one piece of leather, I did not recover anything from my shop. The goods I bought that same day was worth N1.7 million not to talk of what was already in the shop before the incident. We are talking of over N5million investment.”
On how she came back to business almost immediately, Juliet explained: “I went to meet some of my customers that we usually buy goods together with, especially from Kano. I used to order directly from Kano, they know what happened, so they gave me some goods to start again, because I had nothing left. Even that day, I didn’t go home with anything except about N20,000.
“My husband was not around; I’m here with our four children and didn’t know what to do. So I had to come out today to just find something, at least anything to help me survive with my children.
“Some people had nothing left. I know many people in this market who don’t even know how to start again. One woman, a widow with children, has been crying since the incident. She doesn’t know what to do. We are really in pain, we need help, it’s not easy.”
While encouraging those affected by the fire incident not to give up, the mother of four said: “Those affected shouldn’t give up. They have to pick up the pieces and start again.
“I want to appeal to government to help us by building proper shops with blocks. We also need essential services like fire service station and other safety measures here .
“Honestly, we don’t want makeshift structures anymore. If the shops here had been made with blocks or baked bricks, this incident wouldn’t have happened the way it did. It’s because the structures were weak that things turned out like this.
“This incident has really affected us, and we don’t know what to do. If we don’t come together and rebuild like this, we have nowhere else to go. Shops are now very expensive, there are people who still have shops, but many of us can’t afford them.
“To rent a decent shop now in a good location, especially in the Central Business Area, it cost over one million naira. Some people don’t even have up to N200,000 to continue their businesses. So, how can they afford to pay that much for a shop?
“If the government can step in and build shops for us, we would be very grateful. People will be truly happy.”
Alhasan Umar, a 67-year-old father of nine and six grandchildren, who sells blankets, mattresses, bedsheets and pillow-cases among others, disclosed that he lost goods worth over N2.7million to the fire outbreak.
“Aside from the goods that were inside my shop, I brought some goods worth N450,0000 that day and I lost them all. As it is now, I don’t have anything and don’t know who will give me something to start with. I have nine children and grandchildren, and all of them are under my care.
“We came back and are trying to see how we can reconstruct our shops despite the losses but we were told to hold on. The other section of the market that we were told to move inside has since been allocated to some big people.
“We were told to move to the next layer of the market outside the burnt structure but our leaders have bought those places already. Some of us who are not financially buoyant cannot access those spaces. I have been here in this market since I was a very young boy, running errands for my father and learning the business as I grew older.
“Today, all of them have gone and the bulk of responsibility rest on us now. With this fire incident, somebody like me, I don’t have the means to restart the business, talk more of paying for the space in the other section of the burnt market.
“They (rich people) bought them and are now selling them to interested persons at an exorbitant price. A space in that place you will see them saying N1million or N800,000, N500,000 and N400,000. As you can see me like this, even single N1000 I don’t have. So, if you don’t have the means like me here, how are you going to do? That is why we are appealing to government to look into these concerns too,” he angrily stated.
Aminu Muhammed, a young man in his mid 30s, who is dealing on second-hand clothes, lamented how the fire has set him back as most of his goods were looted, the shop vandalized and had to look for loan to reconstruct his shop and move on. He kicked against the idea of street trading, noting that their movement into the burnt market has been a blessing to him and commended the state government for such efforts.
“Because of the fire, some people broke into my shop and looted everything. Just to fix this small shop,bI have spent N500,000 already just on materials, not to talk of the goods I’m going to buy and equip the shop again. What was in this shop was worth N400,000 and if I’m to go back and buy these clothes again everything will be triple of what was before now. I don’t know how I’m going to do it but I have to first of all fix the shop.
“I had to go and look for loan because I don’t have anything doing rather than business hoping I will repay it gradually than staying at home lamenting. Since the government brought us here, some of us really thank God because the market has been so amazing. I don’t want us to go back to the street-trading. I am in support of government’s decision of ensuring that we converge on one place for business than being in the street,” he stated.
Lawal Abubakar Sadik, who deals on children clothes, said he was not affected by the fire incident but called on government to come to the aid of those affected. He equally appealed that government should rebuild shops in the market with blocks and ensure that fire station, toilets and police station among other facilities are made available in the market.
The occupation of abandoned space at the burnt Terminus Market by traders was as a result of the Executive Order 001 signed by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, banning street trading in the central business area.
Over 500 shops with goods worth billions of naira were said to have been destroyed in the midnight fire outbreak of April 29, 2025. The chairman of Jos Main Market, Mustafa Ibrahim, said: “Around 11pm, I was at home when I received a call that there was a fire outbreak in the market. I rushed there immediately, before heading to the market, I went to the fire service station. When we got there, we found only two fire trucks but they were not functional. The trucks had been jacked up and didn’t even have tyres.
“We had to call our representative, Hon. Adamu Aliyu. He then contacted the Bukuru fire service. After that, one fire truck eventually arrived at the scene. But that was the only one; we didn’t see any other truck afterward. That is why almost everyone in the market had to fend for themselves.
“We have lost more than 500 shops, even though we are yet to finished with evaluation of capital loss. But I can confirm that over one billion Naira worth of goods were lost to the inferno.”
In 2019, a similar inferno swept through the market, destroying numerous shops and property worth millions of naira. Zakari Saleh, general secretary of the market, while speaking on the incidents of fire accidents experienced in the market, said: “What we experienced in this incident can’t be compared to what happened in 2019. The latest incident has caused us immense losses. The way the inferno engulfed shops is incalculable. We’ve lost millions. Although we suffered losses in the previous incident, this one is unparalleled.”
He said that though the cause of the last incident was believed to be electrical fault, “this time, the cause is still unknown but vigilantes who guard the market allegedly attributed the cause electrical failure. But it cannot be confirmed.”
Plateau State government expressed deep sympathy and sadness over the unfortunate fire incident. The state commissioner for information, Joice Ramnap, sympathized with victims of the inferno. “The state government extends its sympathies to the affected traders and their families. The unfortunate fire outbreak is a devastating blow to the state’s economic hub and we share in the grief of those who suffered losses.
“The government is calling on all market stakeholders to work together in prioritising safety and implementing necessary measures to avoid a recurrence of such unfortunate events. Traders are urged to continue to keep the prevailing peace in the state in spite of the hardship that they might be going through as a result of the inferno.
“Note that Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration is committed to stand with the affected traders during this challenging time and assure them of government support in mitigating the effects of the incident,“ the statement read.
Mutfwang, during his visit to the burnt market, assured that his administration will find a suitable place for the market. He said an investigation panel has been constituted to looked into the remote causes of the fire and make recommendations to the state government
In another development, the Jos Terminus Market Authority has disclosed the relocation and renaming of the market and called on the public for submission of proposed new name for the market. The General Manager, Jos Main Market Authority, Mangna Yusuf Wamyil, made this known in a statement.
The statement titled, Jos Terminus Market to be rebuilt at Mararaban Jamaa and renamed, stated: “The Plateau State Government, under the visionary leadership of Gov. Caleb Mutfwang, is taking bold steps to restore and redefine the Jos Main Market as a global centre of commerce.
“Once celebrated as the largest indoor market in West Africa, the Jos Main Market is set to rise again stronger, modern, and positioned to drive economic growth across the state.
“In keeping with its commitment to inclusive governance, the Plateau State government believes that the market belongs to the people. Therefore, the Jos Main Market Authority is inviting the public to participate in naming the iconic edifice that will leave a lasting imprint on the state’s commercial future.
“Consequently, the Jos Main Market Authority urges all citizens, traders, and stakeholders to participate in this historic naming process. Suggestions should be sent via text message (to given number).”