I lost over N10m to Abuja market fire, trader laments

A trader in the Old Karu market in a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has lamented her financial loss over the fire that engulfed the market on Thursday evening.

The female trader who spoke to Channels Television in the market on Friday noted that she is feeling pain and worried over the loss to the inferno.

The trader, who was flanked by other women in the video, cried out, saying, “Everything has burnt down. I could not recover anything. This is where we feed from o. Ah, my children’s school fees are there.

“I cannot hold myself, I am in pain, I don’t know if the government can help us. My money that has gone here is over N10 million. I am tired and I don’t know where to start.”

Credit: Channels TV

A combined team of the FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and Julius Berger Fire Service yesterday contained the fire.

Credit: Channels TV

However, while stating that the cause of the fire remains unknown, the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department bemoaned the lack of access to the market, which is located behind the new market under construction.

The acting Director-General, FEMD, Mrs. Florence Wenegieme, disclosed this on Friday in a statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa.

Credit: Channels TV

Wenegieme said, “It was the illegal market or settlement behind the new market under construction that was engulfed by fire. We had enough firetrucks and firemen, but we could not gain access to the market, so we had to break walls to have access to the firefighting hose; that was what caused the delay in putting out the fire,” adding that “no life was lost to the fire incident; goods worth millions of naira were destroyed.”

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