Potiskum’s main market, Yobe State fire razes 120 shops, property worth N35 Millions

The fire, suspected to have started due to an electrical fault in a shop when electricity supply was restored, reportedly affected the section occupied by traders of cosmetics and second hand clothes. The Chairman of the United Marketers Association of Nigeria, Potiskum chapter, Alhaji Isa Sakatare, said: “Around 1a.m., I received a call that there was a fire outbreak at the market. “I quickly rushed down there and met a team of security men and men of the fire service battling the fire. Although no life was lost, so far 120 shops were destroyed by the fire and properties worth over N35 million are suspected to be affected.

 “When we reached the market around 3a.m., we could not get access to our shops,” Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, a cosmetic shop owner in the market, said. He added: “We were watching when the fire razed down our shops. I lost over N2 million in the incident.” Alhaji Usman, a cosmetics dealer, said he lost over N1.5 million to the inferno.

“I have two shops and just yesterday I stocked the shops, but I could not remove anything from the shop when the fire started,” he said. During an inspection visit to the market, the Chairman of Potiskum Local Government Area, Muhammad Musa Potiskum, sympathised with the victims and promised to forward the cost of the damage to Yobe State Government for intervention.