Traders count losses as fire razes over 500 stalls in Kano

A late afternoon fire outbreak has destroyed more than 500 stalls at Shuwaki Market in Ghari Local Government Area of Kano State. The incident occurred around 3:25pm on Wednesday, according to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif Abdullahi. Abdullahi said the fire service control room received […]

A late afternoon fire outbreak has destroyed more than 500 stalls at Shuwaki Market in Ghari Local Government Area of Kano State.

The incident occurred around 3:25pm on Wednesday, according to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif Abdullahi.

Abdullahi said the fire service control room received an emergency call from Abdulmalik Muhammad of the Ghari Fire Station, reporting the inferno.

He said, “The crew on duty from the Danbatta Fire Station was immediately dispatched to the scene. On arrival, they found that the market — measuring about 3,000 by 2,500 feet with approximately 1,000 temporary stalls — was engulfed in flames. About 529 stalls were completely burnt to the ground.”

He added that the firefighters successfully contained the blaze, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the market.

The service attributed the cause of the fire to suspected activities of individuals believed to be intoxicated residents of the market area.

No lives were lost in the incident, but the fire service reiterated its warning against unsafe practices that could lead to fire outbreaks, particularly in public markets across the state.

However, several traders who suffered losses in the fire expressed their devastation and called on the government for urgent assistance.

Malam Abdullahi Mudi, a groundnut seller who lost goods worth over N2 million, said the inferno had ruined his only source of livelihood.

“I just restocked my store a day before the incident. Everything I had is gone. I don’t even know where to start from,” he lamented.

Amina Ibrahim, who sells female clothing materials, said she narrowly escaped the fire while trying to rescue some of her wares.

“The fire spread so fast that we couldn’t save anything. I lost over N1.5 million worth of goods. I am appealing to the state government to come to our aid,” she said.

Usman Ali, a butcher, described the incident as a “disaster beyond words,” adding that many traders were thrown into sudden poverty.

“Most of us operate on loans. Now that everything is gone, we are left with huge debts and no business,” he said.

For Rukayya Sulaiman, who trades in foodstuffs, the tragedy has left her family in distress.

“I lost bags of rice, beans, and other items I bought on credit. I have five children to feed. This fire has destroyed everything we worked for,” she said.

Another trader, Garba Musa, who sells mobile phone accessories, said he lost both his goods and cash savings.

“I just withdrew N300,000 to buy new stock. The money and everything I had inside are gone. I don’t know how to recover from this loss,” he told Daily Trust.

The victims appealed to the state government and well-meaning individuals to provide relief materials and financial assistance to enable them to restart their businesses.

At the time of filing the report, the total worth of properties lost could not be ascertained as officials said they are still trying to collect the data.

Speaking on the development, a seasoned businessman who patronises local markets, Bashir Adamu, described the Shuwaki Market inferno as “a severe economic setback” for the affected traders and the local economy.

He said, “Incidents like this go beyond individual loss; they disrupt local supply chains, reduce household income, and increase poverty levels in already vulnerable communities. Many small traders depend entirely on daily sales for survival, so such fires can push them into long-term debt.”

Adamu also called for urgent policy intervention, noting that “most market structures in Kano and across Nigeria are not designed with fire safety in mind, especially those in the villages or rural areas.”

He advised the government to “enforce standard fire prevention measures, provide insurance schemes for small businesses, and establish emergency recovery funds for traders affected by disasters.”