…Bola Tinubu described the development as unfortunate and deeply distressing.
ABUJA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | President Bola Tinubu has expressed sympathy to traders and residents of Kano State following the massive fire outbreak at the Singer Market, describing the incident as tragic and ordering a full investigation into its cause.
In a statement released on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President voiced concern over the repeated fire incidents at the market.
Bola Tinubu was said to have contacted the Abba Kabir Yusuf to obtain a situation report, noting that the latest inferno occurred less than two weeks after a similar blaze destroyed shops and property in the same market.
According to the statement, the fire broke out on Saturday evening and continued into Sunday morning, causing extensive damage, particularly in the food section of the market. Bola Tinubu described the development as unfortunate and deeply distressing.
He further directed relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive probe into the recurring fires, stressing the need to determine their causes and prevent future occurrences that leave traders devastated.
The incident has sparked widespread anxiety across Kano, as traders count heavy losses and several individuals are feared missing. Reports indicate that goods worth millions of naira were destroyed, with seven persons initially declared missing.
Governor Yusuf, who visited the Gidan Gilas section of the market while the fire was still ongoing, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently provide modern firefighting equipment, including aerial support, to enhance emergency response efforts. He noted that such intervention would significantly boost the operational capacity of the state’s fire service and reduce the level of destruction during similar incidents.
The governor also praised the Kano State Fire Service and security agencies for their swift response and urged residents to remain calm.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Singer Market, Junaid Zakari, revealed that the inferno destroyed properties estimated at over N5 billion, affecting more than 1,000 businesses. He described the fire as one of the worst disasters in the market’s history, stating that goods, equipment, and residential structures used for small-scale trading were completely razed.
Zakari confirmed that seven persons were still missing as of Sunday, with emergency officials working to ascertain their whereabouts.
Authorities are yet to officially determine the cause of the fire, as affected traders continue to evaluate their losses and salvage what remains of their goods.
One trader, Isa Abubakar, said he lost merchandise valued at more than N200 million, describing the experience as heartbreaking. Another victim, Musa Ibrahim, disclosed that goods worth over N340 million were consumed by the blaze, calling the incident devastating.
