Over ten shops with goods worth N30 million were burnt to ashes following last night’s fire incident that occurred at the grocery section of Potiskum Central Market in Yobe State.

Chairman United Marketers Association Potiskum Chapter, Alhaji Nasiru Mato disclosed this while giving account of the sad development.

He also said eight persons sustained minor injuries from the incident and had since been discharged after receiving medical attention.

On the cause of the inferno, Mato said, “we believe that the fire broke out as result of an electrical spark when public power was restored.

“That was why even prior to this incident, we have been warning our members to always switch off all electrical appliances when they close for business, but some are violating this cautionary massage”.

With over 4,000 shops, the Chairman noted that the market is too congested, hence appealed to the Yobe State government to lease some of its offices situated close to the market to serve as an annex.

“Even with the completion of the more than 500 shops capacity modern market in the commercial town, there is still going to be high demand of shops by the marketers,” he said.

According to him, Governor Mai Mala Buni has since sent officials of the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), to conduct on-the-spot assessment with a view to supporting the affected traders.

Recall that last year December, similar fire outbreak had completely destroyed the entire herbal section of the market.

Meanwhile, The Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has commiserated with the victims of the Potiskum Market fire victims.

In a statement by his Direcror General Press and Media Affairs, the Governor described the over night inferno as unfortunate.

The Governor directed the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), to provide emergency support to the victims and take stock of the destructions suffered by the shop owners.

Buni also advised the business community and market administrators to always take proactive measures to guard against such unfortunate incident, while praying that this should be the last inferno to be recorded in any Market in the State.

DailyPost