Jos - A raging night inferno razed 118 shops at
the Kabong market in Jos North on Thursday
morning. Newsmen who visited the market, could
not access the burnt section as some shops were
still in flames. Others also had thick smoke
billowing from them, making visibility very
difficult.
The actual cause of the fire could not be
ascertained, but Christopher Jama, Chairman,
Kabong Market Traders Association, who briefed
the governor when he visited the scene said the
fire started by 4:00 am. Jama claimed that the
fire was caused by an electrical spark when
public power supply was restored in the night.
He told Governor Simon Lalong that 118 shops
were completely burnt, and noted that goods
destroyed included bags of maize, beans, rice,
and poultry products. He appealed to the governor
to come to the aid of the affected traders ‘whose
means of livelihood had been destroyed’.
Lalong, who expressed “deep shock” at the
development, promised to remodel the market and
also address the traders plight.
The governor directed the Permanent Secretary in
the Ministry of Commerce to liaise with the
market union to get details of the incident. The
market was still inaccessible as at the time of the
governor’s visit as smoke was still billowing from
the burnt shops.

Source : News 24

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