Fifty shops were razed on Sunday morning following a fire outbreak at the Old Market in Sokoto metropolis, with properties worth hundreds of millions of naira destroyed.
Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, who visited the scene of the incident, commiserated with traders affected by the inferno and pledged the state government’s support to help them recover from the losses.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, the governor urged the affected traders to accept the development in good faith, noting that the consequences of the fire extended beyond individual shop owners to the wider Sokoto community and the state government.
“The impact of this inferno goes beyond the affected traders; it also affects the government and the entire people of Sokoto State,” Aliyu said, adding that the Old Market remains a critical source of livelihood for many residents.
He assured the leadership of the Sokoto State Traders Association of his administration’s resolve to support those whose businesses were affected, while praying for divine intervention to avert similar incidents in the future. The governor also called on traders to continue to seek divine protection over their investments.
Governor Aliyu commended the swift response of the Sokoto State Fire Service and the efforts of traders at the market, which he said helped to prevent the fire from spreading to other sections of the market.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Sokoto State Traders Association, Chika Sarkin Gishiri, said the fire started at about 10:00 a.m. on Sunday and destroyed 50 shops. He disclosed that goods and properties worth hundreds of millions of naira were lost in the blaze, although no life was recorded lost.
Sarkin Gishiri appealed to the state government to assist the affected traders to enable them to resume their businesses, while commending Governor Aliyu for his consistent support to traders in the state. He assured the governor of the association’s continued support for the present administration.
The fire was still raging at the time the governor visited the market.
