No fewer than 252 makeshift shops have been razed by fire at Galadima market in Gwarimpa, Abuja.
A victim, Hajiya Falmata Bukar, who owned a restaurant and provision shop in the market, said she lost all her investment to the fire.
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She said the incident happened around 1: 30 pm, when almost all the Muslim and Christian faithful operating in the market had left respectively for Friday prayer and Christmas break.
“The fire started after electric power was restored. Seeing the level of voltage, I immediately asked my staff to switch off my television set but, within few seconds, an electrical cable sparked and the shops caught fire,” she said.
Regina Musa, a hairdressing salon owner, also recounted her loss, “It was a busy day for me the night before the incident; as I attended to many customers, my plan was to return to the shop the next morning, but I couldn’t do that as I was so tired.
“My neighbour, a tailor, called and broke the sad news to me. I lost everything; my operating machines like dryer and steamer, various types of hair creams, a power generator, and also cash to the inferno”.
Another victim, a tailor, said the fire had consumed his sewing machine and garments brought to him by customers.
“Many of the tailors here lost everything and they have people’s garments in their shops. We don’t know how to pay them,” he added.
Chairman of the Market, Sulaiman Musa, said the inferno has damaged properties worth millions of Naira, while commending the firefighters for their prompt response.
He said 3 teams of fire service personnel from FCT, NEMA, and Air force, arrived and prevented the fire from escalating to the adjacent estate.
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