By Angela Atabo
Traders and residents of the Kugbo Furniture Market, Abuja, have sought urgent government assistance after a fire destroyed more than 15 shops and some adjoining residential buildings.
The fire reportedly started at about 9 a.m. on Sunday and swept through a section of the market behind Kugbo Local Government Area (LEA) Primary School.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, Mr Mike Omo-youzou, the Coordinator and Chairman of the affected traders, said the fire gutted furniture workshops stocked with goods and equipment worth millions of naira.
“The fire started on Sunday morning when people were in church because we do not come to shops on Sunday. We could not get a response from the fire service, even though there is a fire station in Kugbo here.
“When they arrived, the fireman said he must wait for authorisation from his boss. So while the fire was burning, the vehicle was available, the driver was available, but he needed authorisation.
“So before the authorisation came, everything was razed down as you can see,” he said.
Omo-youzou dismissed electrical faults as the cause, stating there was no power supply and precautionary measures were in place.
He, however, alleged the fire might have started from cooking activities by some youths sleeping in one of the shops.
He said highly flammable materials, including foam, varnish and wood stored in the affected shops worsened the spread.
The chairman, who was also a victim, said his goods worth N5.2 million were destroyed, while other traders lost materials valued at N8.2 million in the fire.
He added that machines and other equipment valued at millions of naira were also lost.
“It is very painful that we lost our means of livelihood, it is very painful.
“I am appealing to the relevant authorities and the President that we need help because we have lost our livelihood and we also seek prompt response from the fire service.
“This is because, sometimes, during an emergency, you may not need authorisation from your boss before acting, as their phone may be off or unavailable.
“So just act according to the situation, since there is a vehicle, there is you, and you can move. This would not have happened if the fire service had acted without authorisation,” he said.
Omo-youzou, however, lamented that no government agency had visited the site, and they had yet to receive any response regarding their plight.
The Women Leader of Kugbo, Marvelous Okezie, appealed to the government to assist affected traders to rebuild their businesses.
“We are calling the government to come and help us please, because they lost money and don’t have anything to do because this is where they source their money.
“Some customers have even given them work to deliver and now everything has gone,” she said.
She also called for training of residents on handling rescue equipment at the Kugbo fire station.
Okezie attributed the extensive damage to delayed response, saying assistance from Wuse station came late.
Mr Andrew Ayue, a resident and media reporter for the community, said the fire reportedly started in a workshop near a residential duplex, affecting nearby houses.
Ayue said proximity of workshops to residential buildings contributed to the scale of destruction.
He noted that flammable furniture materials accelerated the spread of the fire.
Ayue alleged recurring incidents linked to conversion of residential plots to makeshift workshops.
He claimed the incident was the third fire outbreak in two months.
Recounting the ordeal, the Chief of Igbos in Kugbo, Sunday Ejekam, said no lives were lost, but properties worth millions were destroyed.
Ejekam attributed the incident to alleged carelessness by youths living in makeshift structures known as “batchers”.
He urged authorities to halt construction of such structures in the area.
He also suggested enforcement of development timelines for landowners to prevent misuse of plots.
Chairman of the Landlords Association, Williams Ayaruja, blamed weak enforcement of development control regulations.
“This place is meant for residential plots. Each time we appeal to development control authorities to enforce the layout, they don’t respond. That is what led to this property being burnt.
“The government should make sure that the plan for the layout is observed,” he said.
Ayaruja said failure to enforce approved layouts contributed to the damage.
He noted that inadequate spacing between buildings worsened the impact of the fire.
Another resident, Okafor Izuchukwu, who lived in the area for over 20 years, expressed concern over recurring fire incidents and security risks posed by shanties.
Izuchukwu alleged that some shanties harbour criminal elements, posing threats to residents.(NAN)
Edited by Funmilayo Adeyemi
