A massive fire outbreak in the early hours of Wednesday razed a recycling hub and a groundnut mill market in the Dakata metropolitan area of Kano State, destroying property worth billions of naira.
According to ChannelsTV, the fire, which started around 4 a.m., reportedly began at the recycling hub where plastics and scraps are processed before spreading to the nearby market where food items and provisions were sold.
A security guard at the hub, Adamu Umar, recounted the incident, saying it was triggered by electrical sparks from power poles, which quickly ignited flammable materials in the facility.
“The fire started from the recycling hub. We saw sparks on the electrical poles, and before we knew it, the flames had spread into the market,” Umar said.
Newly appointed Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Bakori, who visited the scene on his first day in office, described the incident as unfortunate.
He confirmed that a looter attempting to steal equipment from the site had been arrested, adding that an investigation would be conducted to prevent future occurrences.
Bakori also commended the swift response of the Kano State Fire Service and private fire services in controlling the inferno.
Traders and business owners affected by the disaster could not contain their grief, as many called on both the state and federal governments for urgent assistance.
