•Fire outbreak
Alhaji Salisu Abdullahi, a major foodstuff dealer at Singa Market in Kano State, said he lost goods worth over N120 million in the inferno that consumed dozens of shops at the popular market.
“I was called around 6am and rushed to the market, only to see everything burnt to ashes. I just restocked last week after taking goods on credit. I don’t even know how to face my suppliers. Now I have lost at least cash and goods worth N120 million,” he said.
The early morning fire, which broke out around 5:00am yesterday, destroyed 44 shops and property worth millions of naira. The fire originated from a building known as Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa House, before spreading to nearby structures, according to the Kano State Fire Service.
The Service’s spokesperson, Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, said firefighters from various stations were mobilised after receiving a distress call, but faced delays due to trailers parked along the access road.
“On arrival, our men found a one-storey building measuring about 150 by 150 feet engulfed in flames. The fire destroyed 25 temporary shops attached to the front of the building and 19 stores upstairs,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the fire was suspected to have been triggered by a faulty electrical connection, as the entire building relied on a single power switch.
Auwalu Sule, another trader, said he had lost his seasoning and foodstuff business, and the damage was total.
“All my goods were burnt. I was preparing for the festive season, hoping to make good sales before the year ends. Now, I have nothing left,” he said.
Similarly, Musa Abdulhadi, who sells spaghetti and pasta products, said the speed of the fire left traders helpless.
“The fire was too fast; we couldn’t remove anything. I lost about N8 million worth of goods. It’s painful, especially in this harsh economy,” he said.
Another trader, Musa Muhammad, blamed the delay in fire response on indiscriminate parking of trailers around the market.
“Firefighters arrived early but couldn’t access the area on time. If the roads were clear, maybe half of these shops could have been saved,” he said.
Iliyasu Bashir, who runs a cosmetics shop, described the incident as an avoidable tragedy.
“We’ve been complaining about the faulty wiring in this building. The same issue caused a small fire last year, but nothing was done. Now, everyone has lost their investment,” he said.
The Fire Service PRO commended his men for containing the blaze and preventing it from spreading to nearby warehouses and residential areas. He urged traders to conduct routine electrical checks and avoid illegal connections.
Meanwhile, affected traders have appealed to the Kano State Government and philanthropic individuals for urgent assistance, saying the losses were too heavy to bear alone.
“We are calling on the government to help us rebuild. Many of us took loans to restock. Without support, we don’t know how to start again,” Abdullahi said.
