Fire razes 7 shops in Abaji

A midnight fire on Saturday razed down seven shops and destroyed goods worth millions of naira at Abaji roundabout, Abaji Area Council, FCT. A victim, Abubakar Umar, said the fire occurred around 11:30 pm on Saturday after electricity was restored in the area. He said he alongside other shop owners had just closed their shops […]

A midnight fire on Saturday razed down seven shops and destroyed goods worth millions of naira at Abaji roundabout, Abaji Area Council, FCT.

A victim, Abubakar Umar, said the fire occurred around 11:30 pm on Saturday after electricity was restored in the area.

He said he alongside other shop owners had just closed their shops that night when electricity was restored, and shortly after, he saw smoke billowing from one of the shops.

Umar said he raised alarm and neighbours came out to assist in putting out the fire but by then the fire had already spread to other shops and burnt down all the seven shops.

“Actually, fire service men were alerted but they arrived late and the fire had already taken over all the seven shops such that nobody could even go close to quench it,” he said.

City News reports that among the shops that were affected were; electronics shops, engine shops, boutiques, provision stores among others which were all made of wood and zinc sheets.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the council, Alhaji Abdulrahman Ajiya, has sympathised with the victims of the fire incident.

Ajiya, represented by the secretary of the council, Alhaji Kamal Adamu Shuaibu, who visited the scene on Sunday, expressed shock and sadness over the incident, saying despite necessary measures taken to contain the fire it still destroyed a lot of goods and property.

“I was utterly shocked and dismayed at the terrible damages and the excruciating pain the inferno has caused the traders but I want to assure the victims that the council management would intervene,” he said.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company ( AEDC) Mr. Fadipe Oyebode, said the management was not aware of the fire incident, saying he would get back to our reporter after he enquired about it from the branch manager in the area.