In a devastating incident on Tuesday, properties valued at N150 million were consumed by fire at the GSM market, commonly known as “Kasuwar Jagwal,” in Damaturu, Yobe.
The fire, which reportedly destroyed no fewer than 30 shops, was confirmed by the Public Relations Officer of the Yobe State Fire Service.
The spokesperson stated, “At about 5:50 a.m. this morning, we received a distress call notifying us of the incident. A few minutes later, our team arrived at the scene, but a lot of damage had already been done at the time.”
Investigations revealed that the fire was triggered by a surge in electricity supply to the area.
The Fire Service urged the public to exercise caution, advising, “Members of the public should always switch off electrical appliances and unplug their cables from power sources before going to sleep or closing their shops for the day.”*
Chairman of the Damaturu Trader’s Association, Alhaji Ali Sheriff, lamented the substantial losses suffered by traders in the market.
He concurred that an electrical fault might have been the cause and revealed, “The firefighters were there, but their water pump was faulty, so they could not put off the fire.”
Police personnel were present at the scene to prevent looting, and ensure the security of traders’ goods.
Yahya Ngubdo, a sorghum trader in the market, disclosed that 130 bags of sorghum were lost in the incident.
He appealed for assistance from the state government and well-meaning individuals to alleviate the affected traders’ losses.
