Singer market fire: Kano Gov’t Warns Traders Against Fake Claims

The Secretary to the Kano State Government (SSG), Umar Farouk Ibrahim, has warned traders affected by the recent fire outbreak at Singer Market against falsifying claims, saying the state government will not tolerate any act capable of undermining relief efforts.

Ibrahim gave the warning after leading a government committee on an assessment visit to the scene of the fire disaster at the popular Singer Market in Kano.

Addressing journalists after inspecting the affected sections of the market, the SSG said the visit was primarily to enable members of the committee conduct a first-hand assessment of the level of destruction.

“The main purpose of visiting the site of this unfortunate fire disaster is twofold. First, to give members of the committee the opportunity to carry out a first-hand assessment of the extent of damage to property in the market,” he said.

He described the destruction as monumental, noting that apart from loss of lives, such devastation represents one of the worst experiences victims can endure.

“You can see the extent of the damage. Apart from death, such destruction is the most devastating experience a human being can endure. We pray to God to grant the affected traders the strength to bear the loss. No human being can fully replace what they have lost, but we will do our best to provide succour,” he added.

Ibrahim said the committee also used the opportunity to deliver a strong message to traders and other stakeholders, particularly regarding the transparent distribution of relief funds.

According to him, the message was conveyed through security and anti-graft agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the office of the Commissioner of Police.

He stressed that members of the committee, whom he described as individuals of proven integrity, would not compromise the mandate given to them by the state government.

“This committee is made up of people who have advanced in age and whose integrity is at stake. We will not compromise on the mandate given to us,” he said.

He further cautioned traders against submitting false claims in a bid to benefit from the relief funds.

“We clearly delivered a message to the traders, particularly those affected, that we will not condone or tolerate dishonesty. We will not allow anything that jeopardises the purpose for which these funds were donated,” he said.

The SSG warned that anyone found attempting to manipulate the process risks forfeiting any support and could face prosecution.

“As was rightly stated by the EFCC representative, the least such a person would suffer is losing whatever support would have gone to him. The worst could be imprisonment. That is how seriously we take this assignment,” he said.

He said it would be morally wrong for anyone to attempt to benefit from the misery of others.

“I don’t think it is appropriate for anyone to sit on a committee and allow people to survive on the misery of others. If we cannot assist those in distress, we should not profit from their pain,” he added.

Ibrahim also appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to support victims of the disaster, saying the scale of destruction far exceeds the funds received so far.

According to him, the Federal Government has donated N5 billion to support affected traders, while the Progressive Governors Forum contributed N3 billion. He added that some additional funds running into millions of naira have also been received directly by traders.

However, he said a preliminary assessment suggests that the total loss may exceed N20 billion.

“The extent of the destruction is monumental. A mental assessment shows that the losses are far beyond N20 billion. We are appealing to good Nigerians to come to the aid of these traders,” he said.

The SSG assured donors that the Kano State Government has created a dedicated account for all contributions and pledged full transparency in the management of the funds.

“We assure the good people of Kano State and Nigeria that whatever is donated will reach the affected traders. We will render a detailed account of all funds received and disbursed,” he said.

The Singer Market fire, which razed several shops and destroyed goods worth billions of naira, has left hundreds of traders counting their losses and seeking urgent assistance to rebuild their businesses.

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