Fire Destroys 30 Shops, Goods Worth Millions in Nasarawa Market Inferno

By Samaila Emmanuel Bzugu

A devastating fire swept through the New Modern Market in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, razing 30 tailoring shops and destroying goods worth millions of naira. The inferno, which started on Thursday night at around 9:30 pm, lasted until the early hours of Friday, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire was fueled by heaps of refuse in and around the marketplace, which hindered the efforts of firefighters to bring the situation under control. The intense heat from the flames repeatedly drove back personnel of the Nasarawa State Fire Service, delaying their efforts to put out the fire.

That 70% of the shops destroyed were tailoring shops, containing new sewing machines

Musa Abdullahi, a shop owner whose business was destroyed in the fire, said that the exact cause of the inferno was unknown. He revealed that 70% of the shops destroyed were tailoring shops, containing new sewing machines. “Forty new sewing machines were delivered on Thursday morning, and they were all destroyed in the fire, alongside three shops belonging to my father,” Abdullahi said.

The Director of the Nasarawa State Fire Service, Builder Ombogus-Joshua, confirmed the incident, stating that his team received a distress call around 9:30 pm on Thursday. While disputing the claim that 30 shops were affected, Ombogus-Joshua did not specify the exact number, noting that investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Many shop owners counting their losses, with some estimating that the total value of destroyed goods runs into millions of naira

The fire has left many shop owners counting their losses, with some estimating that the total value of destroyed goods runs into millions of naira. The incident has also raised concerns about the safety and security of markets in the state.