Scavengers, locally known as Jari Bola, have taken over the Sokoto Central Market, a day after it was gutted by fire.
A correspondent at the market on Wednesday observed the presence of scavengers in their hundreds who were packing singed ware in sacks and wheelbarrows.
It was gathered that some of them were called upon by those whose shops were completely razed down by the 10-hour inferno to remove what they could buy from them.
The cause of the fire was still unknown but an unnamed firefighter linked it to a power generator.
In another development, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has pledged the sum of N500 million to support the state government rebuild the market.
Wike explained that part of the money would be used to support the victims.
Part of the money was also intended to support the victims of the inferno.
Earlier in his remarks, while conducting Gov. Wike and his entourage around the fire disaster scene, Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State explained that the gutted market has 16,000 shops out of which “at least 60 per cent were affected by the fire.”
Meanwhile, Former Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko now Senator, representing Sokoto North district, has commiserated with the victims of the Sokoto Central Market fire disaster.
The leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Sokoto State, said that he was saddened by the unfortunate disaster that had destroyed assorted property believed to be worth millions of naira.
He extended his sincerest commiseration to the victims, as well as the entire people of the state.
Meanwhile, the State APC Caretaker Executives, led by Isa Sadiq Achida, have expressed rude shock at the devastating blaze.
