Inferno destroys goods worth billions 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 in an evening fire inferno which engulfed the Main market at about 7.00 pm on Thursday, destroying trillions of goods.
When Daybreak Nigeria visited the Karu market this 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.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire outbreak actually started after the market was officially closed to business, at about 7.00pm, burning down almost shops and stalls,
destroying items such as food stuffs, provisions, electronics, provisions, cosmetics, and other consumable and non consumables.
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 8.00pm, when it was too late to salvage anything from his shop.
He said,” l lost kitchen utensils worth millions of Naira, l was I was called at about 8.00 pm, it was already late before I could run here, the fire was already out of control , 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 spoke to Daybreak 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 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.”
A woman who sells vegetables said, ” We were here at about 7.00 pm, and suddenly, we saw 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, she said.
A trader of more than 24 years at Karu market, Mr. Godswill Nnamani, not real name, told Daybreak that the market inferno appears to be another set-up to collect stalls from owners and allocate to new people. ” It is a set-up, but we promise them that it is no more business as usual.”
“This is usually what they do. They might want to Condon off this area, to chase people away. They came up with the idea of rebuilding the market and giving back to new people.”
This unfortunate fire incident has consumed goods worth trillions of Naira, and 99% of traders here could not remove one pin from their shops, he said.
At the time of filling this report , some shops were still burning amid thick fire smoke , while all efforts to get to speak with AMAC management at the Karu Market was not possible, there was no official present to react to the incident.
