Yobe traders count losses, blame faulty firefighting trucks

  Several fire incidents in Yobe markets have resulted in huge losses to business owners, forcing many of them into poverty. At least three major markets were gutted by massive fire in Nguru, Potiskum and Gashua local government areas, destroying goods worth billions of naira. In virtually all the fire outbreaks, the business owners accused […]

 

Several fire incidents in Yobe markets have resulted in huge losses to business owners, forcing many of them into poverty.

At least three major markets were gutted by massive fire in Nguru, Potiskum and Gashua local government areas, destroying goods worth billions of naira.

In virtually all the fire outbreaks, the business owners accused the state fire service of doing very little to arrest the situation due to faulty trucks in various stations.

In Nguru market, more than 360 shops and stores were destroyed, 94 burnt in Potiskum, while few others burnt in Gashua markets.

But the spokesperson of Yobe Fire Service, Mallam Baba Muhammad Bello, denied the allegation, saying they have active fire trucks in all their stations.

However, some shop owners in Nguru market, where the massive destruction of the 360 shops happened, said there was no response from fire service because their firefighter trucks were faulty.

The chairman of Nguru Traders Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Adamu, said the fire service was their first area of call immediately the inferno started, but to their dismay, the firefighter trucks were not working.

He said, “The fire was triggered by high electricity voltage. To prevent the spread, we quickly alerted the personnel of the fire service to come to our aid, but, they told us that their trucks were not working. Only one small KIA car was working.”

Adamu said over 360 shops containing items like fabrics, used clothes, shoes and provisions were instantly destroyed.

He explained that the firefighters later responded with a small KIA truck that did little in quenching the fire.

“When we asked of the big trucks they told us that they were not working. Unfortunately, in 30 minutes, they ran out of water,’’ he said.

While claiming to have lost hope in the state’s fire service, Adamu said, ‘‘I can assure you that the damage would not have been much if the firefighters had come earlier with enough trucks.’’

He urged the Yobe State Government to provide fire service stations and equipment near the markets.

Also, Mrs Maryam Abubakar, a cosmetic trader in Potiskum market, said she lost property worth N3million when her shop caught fire and burned.

‘‘My neighbours who sell similar goods lost their capitals. These shops are the only sources of our livelihood. It took us nearly five years to build these businesses. We don’t want to remain under the government or any organisation’’ she added.

Muhammad Sabiu, another trader, said he lost two shops to the inferno, while his three brothers lost four stores, which he added had put thousands of people to poverty.

‘‘I personally lost two shops I opened for business and another two that I did not open. My father and three of my brothers also lost their shops to the inferno,’’ he said

The response of the fire service was not different in Gashua although the magnitude of the incident was not as serious as what happened at markets in Nguru and Potiskum.

Daily Trust Saturday recalls that on March 27, 2021, fire razed down Gashua hay market in Bade Local Government Area of the state.

The secretary of the Gashua Market Traders Association, Alhaji Maigoro, who spoke to our correspondent via telephone, said the office of the fire service in Gashua lacked firefighting trucks, water tankers and necessary equipment to combat an emergency situation.

‘‘It is obvious that these people (firefighters) need equipment and motivation to carry out their duties diligently. Based on our assessment, their office here in Gashua needs government’s intervention.

‘‘They have told me their problems and want us to intervene so that the state government can repair their vehicles/trucks.

‘‘Initially, we intended to raise some funds for them to repair the trucks, but I cannot tell what happened. But, to be honest, they seriously need government’s intervention,’’ he said.

Also, a businessman in Potiskum, Alhaji Muhammadu Kabir, told Daily Trust Saturday that the situation was leading to loss of lives, including those of young children.

‘‘Potiskum town is the centre of business in Yobe State, but unfortunately, there are only four firefighting vehicles in the town and three are trucks. And none of them is working, except the small one that offers very little work.

“Two weeks ago, three children fell into a well outside Yindiski graveyard, where a former governor of Yobe State, the Mamman Ali, was buried.

“I went to inform them to take quick response, but unfortunately, one of the officers I met said they didn’t have a car to go there, and suggested that I should hire a motorcycle.

“When I asked what happened to the packed trucks, they said they developed faults over time without repair.

“One of the officers advised that we should channel our complaints to the government,” he said.

He said it was a shame that the entire town of Potiskum does not have fire trucks while senior government officials are in the competition to buy luxury cars.

Patiskum market has suffered incessant fire outbreaks in the past three years, and it is the most frequent in Yobe State.

Daily Trust Saturday learnt that around March 2021, over 10 shops and goods worth N30million were burnt in Potiskum central market.

The chairman, Potiskum Marketers Association, Alhaji Nasiru Mato, said that apart from properties, over eight persons sustained minor injuries from the incident. He added that two months ago, over 42 shops were destroyed by fire in the market.

He said, ‘‘When the incident happened, we contacted the personnel of the Yobe State Fire Service to come to our aid. They came in a small car. People borrowed buckets from our neighbours to fetch water and put out the fire.

‘‘It took combined efforts of the personnel of the fire service and people from the neighborhood to put out the raging inferno.

‘‘Sincerely speaking, the effort of these personnel is not good enough. How can that small car take care of a town like Potiskum?’’

One of the traders, Alhaji Nasiru Mato, said the cause of the fire that burnt 94 shops and stalls in the market was yet to be determined, but added that it had no links with electricity.

“The Potiskum Fire Service used to have four firefighting trucks – three are big and one small. Unfortunately, only the small one works while the rest were all grounded at the station. All their engines broke down.

“Imagine that a town like Potiskum, where multi-million naira business transactions take place daily, doesn’t have a functional firefighting truck?

‘‘I can assure you that if there is a firefighting vehicle attached to this market or their office, the incident would have been contained,” he said.

However, amidst that tension, Daily Trust Saturday learnt that the state governor, Mai Mala Buni, provided a new firefighter truck to the Potiskum station, which the chairman also corroborated.

“Yes, the governor provided a new vehicle for the station when he heard about what happened and our predicament.

‘‘We are also pleading with him to fix the faulty vehicles so that their personnel (fire service) can deliver emergency services whenever the need arises,’’ he said.

However, the spokesman of the Yobe State Fire Service, who earlier denied the allegation, said that like any other organisation, the state’s fire service had its own challenges, but they are not insurmountable.

“We always respond to emergencies whenever we are called. We also have trucks, except for the recent fire outbreak in Potiskum, where we used the small KIA truck that doesn’t take much water. Despite that, it has done well with the help of people to extinguish the fire.

“We have seen how people spread lies on that social media. It is not true that a town like Patiskum does not have fire trucks.

“There are some local government areas where their trucks have been taken to Jos for repairs as ordered by Governor Mai Mala Buni,” he said.

He also said that in a bid to help citizens combat fire outbreaks, the state government awarded a contract for the repair of 9 firefighting trucks.

“So far, the contractor has brought five that have been repaired. The remaining four are still in Jos. One of these trucks belongs to Potiskum and the other places you have listed.

“After the incident, we called the contractor and he assured us that the cars would arrive in the next few weeks,” he said.

He further said they warned shop owners not to allow mad persons to sleep in the markets because they usually smoked cigarettes and threw them anywhere, which normally ignites fire.

“Also, security guards in the markets need to be cautious of making fire to stay warm due to the cold weather. This is because the fire can go out of control,” he added.