Man sets 15 shops ablaze ‘to elude creditors’

No fewer than 15 shops have been set ablaze by one Yusuf Rabiu, 28, of Hausawa Quarters Kano, who was allegedly trying to escape embarrassment from a customer over an order for some furniture items. Daily Trust gathered that the incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday along New Layout, behind Kano Trade Fair, […]

No fewer than 15 shops have been set ablaze by one Yusuf Rabiu, 28, of Hausawa Quarters Kano, who was allegedly trying to escape embarrassment from a customer over an order for some furniture items.

Daily Trust gathered that the incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday along New Layout, behind Kano Trade Fair, Gandun Albasa, in Kano metropolis, where some carpenters were making and selling furniture.

It was further gathered that the suspect had squandered money for the furniture items to the tune of N120,000 which he had collected but failed to deliver the goods to the customer.

Investigations reportedly revealed that the suspect assured the customer that the product would be ready by Thursday for collection. In his desperation to escape possible embarrassment he was alleged to have set one of the shops on fire thinking he could contain it, a source said.

Speaking to Daily Trust, the chairman of the Furniture Makers’ Association, Abubakar Auwal, said he was notified about the inferno around 2am and that by the time he arrived, the police and state fire service were trying to put out the fire.

When contacted, the Kano State police command’s spokesman, SP Magaji Musa Majia, confirmed the incident and said the police have arrested the suspect who confessed that he committed the crime, adding that the case had been transferred to the state CID for further investigation.