•situation under control — FCT Police
Traders at the popular Karu market in the nation’s capital, Abuja have been left in tears, sorrow and financial pain as they count their losses due to a fire inferno which engulfed the market on Thursday night destroying trillions of naira worth of goods.
When Nigerian Tribune visited the Karu market on Friday morning, the market was close to business as some traders were seen crying and trying to clear the debris of the remains from their shops, lamenting about how to start afresh, while others sat in clusters thanking God that no life was lost in the inferno.
An affected trader, Mr. Joakim Igweh who has been selling kitchen utensils for the past 15 years, in a pensive mood lamented that he has lost wares worth over 15 million.
Igweh said he was called back to the market at about 8.00 pm when it was too late to salvage anything from his shop.
He said, “I lost kitchen utensils worth millions of Naira, I was called at about 8.00 pm, it was already late before I could run here, the fire was already out of control, and all the shops were seriously on fire. My prayer is that the government should come to our rescue.”
Another trader who sells wholesale provisions, Emmanuel Chibuke who also spoke to Nigerian Tribune said, “I have been selling provisions in this market in the past 15 years, but look at it now, I have lost over N 10 million in this fire incident.”
Chibuke who was also grossly affected by the Karu inferno said that someone called him on Thursday night after the close of business that the Karu market was on fire and that his shop was grossly affected.
“When I came, I saw that fire was on top of the roofs of our shops and everything was burning, so there was nothing I could even pick out.” He stated.
A woman who sells vegetables said; “We were here at about 7.00 pm, and suddenly, we saw the fire burning in the main market and shop catching fire. There was confusion everywhere, people running helter-skelter to pack their wares.
“The fire damaged many things. Many people here collect loans to support their businesses, so we are begging the government to come and help us.”
Meanwhile, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Chairman, Hon. Zakka Maikalangu, on Friday morning alongside the Speaker of AMAC, Hon. Mathew Yari, The PDP AMAC Party Chairman, Chief Godibeg Egbe and other stakeholders, visited the burnt market, where he promised a government relief package for the victims of the fire incident to enable them to bounce back.
Maikalangu disclosed that he would direct the Council’s Emergency Management immediately to visit the burnt market for enumeration.
On their part, the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) said that lack of access caused the delay in putting out the fire at the Karu market in Abuja on Thursday.
FEMD acting director-general Florence Wenegieme said this in a statement on Friday.
Ms Wenegieme underscored the need for fire service personnel and trucks to access market, public, and private buildings during fire outbreaks for quick interventions to reduce losses.
She said the fire started around 6:30 p.m. but was controlled by the combined team of FEMD, FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and Julius Berger Fire Service.
According to her, the efforts prevented the fire from spreading to surrounding houses.
She, however, explained that it was not the new Karu market under construction that was engulfed by the fire but an informal market and settlement behind the new market.
She said, “There are fire stations at two locations in Karu. We have the Karu Fire Station, and a Fire Station and firefighting truck in the new Karu Market under construction.
“Firefighting trucks arrived at the scene of the fire on time but could not get access to the market to put out the fire on time. We had to break walls to pass the firefighting water horses through to be able to put out the fire.”
She added that the fire lost goods worth millions of naira, but no life was lost. She further said that personnel of the Nigeria police, Nigeria army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were also on the ground for crowd control.
Mr Wenegieme thanked the Department of Engineering and the Federal Capital Development Authority for activating Julius Berger Fire Service to provide the needed support.
She said that an investigation was ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.
In a statement issued to newsmen by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the FCT Commissioner of Police was quoted as saying; “In response to the fire outbreak at popular Karu market in Abuja, at about 08:00 p.m., the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, psc, mni, swiftly mobilised police patrol teams from Karu, Nyanya, and Jikwoyi police divisions alongside operatives of the Federal Fire Service to the scene to extinguish the fire, forestall any intended attempt to loot the shops therein, and to protect other valuables from being engulfed.
“Further development will be communicated in due course.”
At the time of filling this report, all efforts to speak with AMAC management at the Karu market was not possible, there was no official present to react to the incident.
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