State govt sympathise with victims of Yola market inferno

The situation did not get better even upon the arrival of fire Fighters who found it difficult to gain access to the point of the inferno as the market did not have access roads.

The Government of Adamawa state has today (Monday) sympathised with the traders of Yola town Main Market over an early morning inferno that razed down the market which in the process consumed properties estimated at billions of Naira.

The deputy Governor, Martins Babale who was among the early callers at the market said he sympathized with them.

Considering it an unwanted incident, he assured them of government help after assessing the extent of damage caused by the inferno.

Babale called on NEMA, corporate organizations and wealthy individuals to come to the aid of the marketers with a view to cushioning their sufferings.

The inferno which was the worst ever to engulf the market was believed to have consumed about 90 percent of shops.

The fire which according to eyewitnesses started at about 2:30 am went out of control as initial efforts to extinguish it was stymied by lack of access roads in the market.

A shop owner Mallam Babayola Maijimilla, whose shop was also razed down, said, “The fire started around the middle of the market.

“Efforts by early sympathizers to extinguish it were rebuffed by security operatives who denied them access into the market for fear of looting.

But the situation did not get better even upon the arrival of fire Fighters who found it difficult to gain access to the point of the inferno as the market did not have access roads.

Some of the affected shop owners interviewed said they have lost everything they toiled for in life to the fire incident calling on the government to come to their aid.

Chairman Adamawa Traders Association popularly called Gamzaki traders association in Adamawa Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammad (86) appealed to Federal, State and Local Governments to come to their aid saying that they lost 90 percent of their shops to the inferno.

Similarly, the Speaker Adamawa State House of Assembly Kabir Mijinyawa in whose constituency the market is situated called on the marketers to be patient as the government assesses the level of damage wrought on the market.

He urged them to see the incident as an act of God just as he promised to do everything in his capacity to ensure that the marketers get succor from the government.

While commenting on the issue Adamawa State Commissioner of Police,  Ghazzali Mohammed said he has deployed a number of policemen to provide security and prevent hoodlums from looting properties noting that the effort have yielded results as a number of looters have been arrested.

The Executive Secretary Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, Haruna Hammanfuro said the fire incident was the worst of its kind in the history of the market.

He said they were yet to quantify the extent of damage done to properties although no life was lost.

By Tom Garba, Yola

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