…Inferno Destroys Goods Worth Trillions of Naira – Traders**
**By Joyce Remi-Babayeju**
Traders at the popular Karu Market have been left in tears, sorrow, and financial pain as they count their losses from an evening fire that engulfed the main market around 7:00 PM on Thursday, destroying goods worth trillions of naira.
When Daybreak visited the Karu market this morning, the market was closed for business. Some traders were seen crying and clearing debris from their shops, lamenting about how to start afresh, while others sat in clusters, thanking God that no lives were lost in the inferno.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire outbreak started after the market was officially closed for the day, around 7:00 PM, burning down almost all shops and stalls. Items such as foodstuffs, provisions, electronics, cosmetics, and other consumable and non-consumable goods were destroyed.
An affected trader, Mr. Joakim Igweh, who has been selling kitchen utensils for the past 15 years, lamented that he had lost wares worth over 15 million naira.
“I lost kitchen utensils worth millions of naira. I was called at about 8:00 PM, but it was already too late before I could arrive. The fire was out of control, and all the shops were seriously on fire. My prayer is that the government comes to our rescue,” Igweh said.
Another trader, Emmanuel Chibuke, who sells wholesale provisions, also spoke to Daybreak. “I have been selling provisions in this market for the past 15 years, but now I have lost over 10 million naira in this fire incident. When I arrived, I saw that fire was on top of the roofs of our shops, and everything was burning. There was nothing I could save,” Chibuke said.
A woman who sells vegetables recounted the chaos: “We were here around 7:00 PM, and suddenly we saw fire burning in the main market, and shops catching fire. There was confusion everywhere, with people running helter-skelter to pack their wares. Many people here collect loans to support their businesses, so we are begging the government to come and help us.”
A trader of more than 24 years at Karu market, Mr. Godswill Nnamani (not his real name), suggested that the fire might be a setup to reallocate stalls. “It is a setup, but we promise them it is no longer business as usual. They might want to cordon off this area and chase people away under the guise of rebuilding the market.”
“This unfortunate fire incident has consumed goods worth trillions of naira, and 99% of traders here could not save anything from their shops,” he added.
At the time of filing this report, some shops were still burning amid thick smoke. Efforts to speak with the AMAC management at Karu Market were unsuccessful, as no officials were present to react to the incident.
