Traders seek help as fire razes Kugbo market

Traders and residents of the Kugbo Furniture Market, Abuja, have made an urgent appeal for government assistance after a fire destroyed more than 15 shops and several adjoining residential buildings.

The fire reportedly started at approximately 9:00 am on Sunday and swept through a section of the market located behind a primary school in the area.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Mr. Mike Omo-youzou, the Coordinator and Chairman of the affected traders, said the inferno gutted furniture workshops stocked with goods and equipment worth millions of naira.

“The fire started on Sunday morning while people were in church, as we do not open shops on Sundays. We could not get a response from the fire service, even though there is a fire station right here in Kugbo,” Omo-youzou said.

“When they arrived, the fireman said he had to wait for authorization from his boss. So, while the fire was burning, the vehicle was available and the driver was available, but they sat waiting for approval. Before that authorization came, everything was razed to the ground.”

Omo-youzou ruled out electrical faults as the cause, noting that there was no power supply at the time and that strict precautionary measures were in place. However, he alleged the fire might have been sparked by cooking activities from youths sleeping in one of the shops. He added that highly flammable materials, including foam, varnish, and wood, accelerated the spread.

The chairman, who was also a victim, stated that he personally lost goods worth N5.2 million, while other traders lost materials valued at over N8.2 million.

“It is very painful to lose our means of livelihood. I am appealing to the President and the relevant authorities for help. We also need a more proactive response from the fire service. In an emergency, you should not need to wait for a boss who might have his phone off. You must act according to the situation,” he added.

Omo-youzou lamented that, as of Monday, no government agency had visited the site to assess the damage.

The Women Leader of Kugbo, Marvelous Okezie, also appealed for aid to help traders rebuild. “We are calling on the government to come to our aid. These traders have lost everything, including items they were supposed to deliver to customers,” she said. She further called for the training of residents on rescue equipment handling at the local station.

Mr. Andrew Ayue, a resident and media reporter for the community, noted that the proximity of workshops to residential duplexes contributed to the scale of destruction. He alleged that this was the third fire outbreak in the area in just two months, often linked to the conversion of residential plots into makeshift workshops.

The Chief of Igbos in Kugbo, Sunday Ejekam, confirmed that while no lives were lost, properties worth millions were destroyed. He attributed the incident to carelessness in makeshift structures known as “batchers” and urged authorities to halt their construction.

Williams Ayaruja, Chairman of the Landlords Association, blamed the disaster on weak enforcement of development control regulations. “This area is meant for residential plots. Each time we appeal to authorities to enforce the layout, they don’t respond. The government must ensure the original plan for the layout is observed,” Ayaruja said.

Another long-term resident, Okafor Izuchukwu, expressed concern that the proliferation of shanties not only poses a fire risk but also harbors criminal elements.

When contacted, officials of the FCT Fire Service declined to comment, stating they were not authorized to speak to the press.  (NAN)

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