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Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
A popular old market in Sokoto State, was on Monday razed by inferno affecting no fewer than sixteen shops within the complex.
The incident, according to an eyewitness happened around 11pm and lasted 3 hours before officials of the State Fire Service could put it off.
The chairman of the market, Alhaji Almustapha, who lamented the incident told journalists that goods worth millions of naira were affected.
He commended men of the fire service for their quick response, saying the situation could have been worse.
Almustapha who was also a victim of the inferno, disclosed that sixteen shops where goods like rice, groundnut oil, vegetable oil and other foodstuffs were razed.
He called on the state government to come to their aid, saying some of them has no other way to feed their families aside proceeds from what they sell from the shops.
Head of Operation, Sokoto Fire Service, Mustapha Abubakar, who confirmed the incident said that proper investigations will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the fire.
The operation officer cautioned members of the public against late reportage of fire incidents, while advising against blocking the movement of fire fighting equipment during such incidents.
He also warned people against engaging the inferno before informing the agency, saying that the situation usually leads to the escalation of fire before the arrival of the fire fighters.
Meanwhile, the Governor of the state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has sent his condolence message to the affected traders.
Speaking through his deputy, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, in a statement, called on the security agencies to ensure security around the affected areas so as to prevent hoodlums from exploiting the situation for their own selfish end.
