We lost our source of livelihood to midnight fire – Plateau victims

Some traders who lost their property to a midnight fire outbreak at the Timber market in Katoto community, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State last Sunday narrate their pain and frustration to JAMES ABRAHAM

Traders lost about N1.2bn to inferno – Ali

How much did the traders lose to the fire outbreak?

My name is Shuaibu Ali. I am the Chairman of Plateau State Carpenters’ Association. This incident happened at midnight on Sunday (last week). People started calling me to tell me about the fire. I was shocked when I learnt about the incident.

When we got to the market, the fire had spread more than we expected. We then started calling the fire servicemen who came and put out the fire.

In the process, we realised that we lost a lot of property. We lost about N1.2bn worth of property to the fire outbreak in the market. About 110 shops were affected, and many people who lost their property were carpenters because we had a timber shade here.

We just offloaded all sorts of timber on the evening of that day. About four trailerloads of timber were offloaded and about 50 or 60 per cent of the wood was burnt. Apart from that, many engines that we use in sawing timber were destroyed. Some of them, you can get in Nigeria unless imported. We lost furniture, generators, beds, chairs, and so on.

What caused the fire outbreak in the market?

No one can say how it started and what caused it. We were just alerted to the fire, and it turned out to be true.

Is this the first time the traders will experience such an incident?

No. The fire incident has been recurring over the years. About a year or two years ago, we experienced the same thing in the market and people lost a lot of things.

What do you think can be done to prevent a recurrence?

First, we need the government to assist us because what happened to our people here is unbearable. Most of them have lost their source of livelihood and do not know what to do next. Many of them have been at home and we don’t know what is happening to them after they lost everything to the fire incident.

On what can be done to stop such an incident from happening again, I think we need water in the market. There is no water here. Even when the fire servicemen came, they could have used the water to quench the fire immediately if we had water available.

So, we need water; we need a borehole. Secondly, the way the shops were built in the market could not have encouraged the prevention of any fire incident because the shops were just makeshift spaces constructed with aluminium zinc, and wooden materials.

So, the shops need to be well constructed such that the building won’t burn when there is a fire incident. There is also congestion in the market, but I believe that if we have properly constructed buildings, it will help.

I’ve lost everything – Saeed

What did you lose to the fire outbreak?

My name is Zacharia Saeed. I deal in cushions, clothes, and expensive tools. I am also an interior designer. The goods in the market were worth millions of naira and they went up in flames. I have lost everything.

We also have compressors, generators, and new clothes in the shop. It is depressing, and I don’t know how to talk about it again.

What do you think led to the incident?

Those responsible should monitor how people connect electricity to their homes and shops. I’m still surprised how the fire suddenly started and burnt everything within a few moments. The timber was razed by fire because it was much easier. After all, all the items were very inflammable.

I was devastated at level of destruction – Ibrahim

What is the worth of your property lost to the fire outbreak?

I am Musa Ibrahim. I’m one of the victims of the fire incident at Katako market. I do my business at the market, and I have been here for the past 25 years.

Many machines were burnt by the fire. I have the ones that go for N2.5m. Others are sold for N1.2m and some are N1.5m. I bought the machines about six years ago. We use them in sawing plywood and all types of planks. I have two of these machines; they were all burnt by the fire.

Where were you when the fire incident happened?

I was in Yola, Adamawa State when I received a call from one of my boys that the market had been gutted by fire. He also posted it on my WhatsApp. When I saw the picture of the fire, I screamed and became devastated at the level of destruction by the fire incident.

I decided to travel back to Jos and behold, all my machines and other property had been destroyed by the fire. It’s devastating because we never expected that something like this would happen. I have decided to leave everything to God. As it is, anyone who can help me should do so because I need help.

Govt should assist victims of fire incident – Yusuf

How can the government assist traders?

I am Aliyu Yusuf, the Chairman of Timber B Section, Katato Market. More than one ago, we experienced a fire outbreak here in the market and many of us are yet to recover from the destruction that occurred. The entire place was burnt into ashes.

What we need from the government is assistance. We stay in shades, not decked buildings and that is why we call it timber shades. These shades are made of wood. I believe if they are made of iron, it will reduce the impact of any fire incident because it is much easier for fire to affect wood than iron. The state government can also assist us in building structures made of iron when rebuilding the market.

How did the fire spread and destroy everything in the market?

All the timber shades got burnt within 10 to 15 minutes because this market is mixed with all types of people doing their business. We have those selling chemicals, plywood, and others.

Had it been that we were not mixed up, maybe this kind of thing wouldn’t happen. We have another timber shade which they call Timber A and they call us Timber B. So, Timber A does not usually have this kind of fire problem because their place is better secured than ours and they are the only people selling timber to customers.

Where they cut wood is different and where they sell wood is also separate. However, we want to appreciate the state Governor, His Excellency, Caleb Mutfwang, because he was here a day after the fire incident.

Are you hopeful the governor will assist traders who lost their property to the inferno?

Yes, because during the visit, he sympathised with us and even made some promises that he would take the matter to the Federal Government. On his part, he said his administration would do something about the market to forestall a reoccurrence. So, we are waiting for the governor to fulfil his promise because the people are suffering due to the fire outbreak. They have lost their source of livelihood.