Food products worth over N200 million, including yam and cereals, were destroyed by a fire breakout in Taraba State’s Wukari Local Government Council in the early hours of Saturday.
WITHIN NIGERIA reports that the incident, which cause could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, occurred when the traders had all retired home.
The chairman of the Yam Market, Anthony Agbu, who was visibly depressed, said that the event, which began about 12 a.m. on Saturday, resulted in enormous devastation of their merchandise.
Stressing how the inferno will tell negatively on the people, as well as the farmers, he said the need for the relevant authorities, to as a matter of urgency, provide succor to the affected traders, had become necessary.
“As you have seen, our yam market and all our goods have been razed down by the fire incident that occurred here early this morning,” he said.
Some victims, including Justina Theophilus, Emmanuel Gani, Chindo Magaji and Margaret Adashu, who spoke with newsmen, said all their resources have been destroyed.
Also devastated by the incident, the Council Chairman of Wukari, Dr. Daniel Adigrace, said, “when I was called last night that this market was on fire, I quickly mobilized my team and rushed to the scene.”
Lamenting the level of damages, he called on both the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as well as the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to wade in.
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