Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has visited the scene of the fire outbreak that razed several shops at the Old Market in Sokoto, pledging government support to traders affected by the incident.
The fire, which broke out at about 10:00 am on Sunday, destroyed dozens of shops and goods estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of naira.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Abubakar Bawa, on Sunday.
Speaking during an on-the-spot assessment, Aliyu described the incident as unfortunate, noting that its impact extended beyond the affected traders to the wider Sokoto community.
“The impact of this inferno goes beyond the affected traders; it also affects the government and the entire people of Sokoto State,” the governor said.
He acknowledged the Old Market as a major economic hub and source of livelihood for many residents, assuring traders that his administration would not abandon them.
“I want to assure the leadership of the traders that this government is determined to support those affected by this incident,” Aliyu said, while urging them to accept the loss as the will of Almighty Allah and remain hopeful.
The governor also commended the prompt 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 further.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Sokoto State Traders Association, Alhaji Chika Sarkin Gishiri, said about 50 shops were affected by the inferno.
“The fire started around 10:00 am and affected about 50 shops. Property worth hundreds of millions of naira was destroyed, but no life was lost,” Sarkin Gishiri said.
He appealed to the state government to assist the affected traders to enable them to return to business and thanked Governor Aliyu for what he described as his consistent support for traders in the state.
“We appreciate the governor for always standing with traders. We are confident that his administration will come to our aid,” he added.
Online had reported that the National Emergency Management Agency, Sokoto Operations Office, said its Emergency Response Team was swiftly deployed to the scene following reports of the fire outbreak.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Sunday, the agency said the response was carried out in collaboration with the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency to contain the fire and minimise losses.
“The NEMA Sokoto Operations Office, through its Emergency Response Team, swiftly responded to a fire outbreak at the Old Market in the Sokoto State capital,” the statement read.
“Our team, in collaboration with the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency, was on ground to coordinate response activities aimed at containing the fire, which engulfed several shops and destroyed property estimated to be worth millions of naira.”
NEMA added that other stakeholders, including the Fire Service, worked together to bring the situation under control.
“Through joint efforts and effective coordination, the fire was eventually subdued, preventing further spread and damage,” the agency said.
As of the time of filing this report, no casualties had been recorded, while the cause of the fire was yet to be determined.