47 shops razed as fire guts Abuja market

At least 47 shops were razed by fire at the Karmo Market in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

The blaze, which reportedly started around 7pm, ravaged sections of the makeshift market, which is primarily constructed of wood and zinc.

The Chairman of the market’s Traders’ Association, Lawali Umar, told Abuja Metro yesterday that the fire destroyed stores containing provisions, foodstuffs, and soft drinks.

Umar stated that the fire is suspected to have originated from a spot where groundnuts were being fried; it is believed a fire was left unattended and not fully extinguished.

Murtala Ibrahim Gusau, the provost of the Traders’ Union, told our reporter that the incident occurred while many traders were observing the Muslim sunset prayer.

“The alarm forced the majority of the worshippers to end their prayers immediately to respond to the fire,” Gusau said. “We tried to create a firebreak by destroying some shops to separate the affected area from the rest of the market. Others ran to nearby public conveniences to fetch water to quench the flames.”

Gusau noted that three fire service trucks arrived about an hour later to assist in fully extinguishing the remaining embers.

Traders reject NEMA intervention

A “mild drama” unfolded on Monday when a delegation from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) visited the site to offer assistance.

Despite the losses, the majority of the affected traders reportedly declined to provide their names for profiling.

Traders who spoke to our reporter alleged that their refusal stemmed from dissatisfaction with previous aid efforts.

One source claimed that in past incidents, the agency provided expired food items, a few sachets of noodles, and a cash token of no more than N10,000.

“They rejected the offer based on those previous experiences,” the source alleged.

Abuja Metro reports that Karmo Market, the largest and most popular informal market in the FCT, has suffered several fire outbreaks in recent years, with the most recent major incident occurring in November 2024.

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