Traders count losses as fire ravages Masaka market in Nasarawa( Pictures & Video)
Traders at Masaka Market in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State are grappling with immense losses after a devastating fire swept through the market late Friday night, around 10 p.m.
The inferno left many traders in despair, as they recounted their losses in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.
Ahmed Ayuba, a trader, expressed his grief and helplessness.
“I do not know what to do. I am so devastated. All my goods have been burnt to ashes, and there is nothing left. People had already paid for some of the goods, and now I have lost everything. Worse still, I am now in debt,” he lamented.
He called on the government for urgent assistance.
John Uche, an electronics dealer, narrated how the fire also became an opportunity for theft.
“I lost everything, including the money I kept in my shop. My goods were bought with money I borrowed from the bank. To make matters worse, people looted the goods left behind. It’s heartbreaking,” he said.
Zainab Usman, a tailor and cold drinks vendor, estimated her losses at three million naira.
“The fire consumed my shop, and I lost goods worth millions. I don’t know how I’ll recover from this. We need government intervention to rebuild our businesses,” she pleaded.
Similarly, Victoria Ellas, a foodstuff seller, revealed she lost over five million naira worth of goods.
“Everything I sell got burnt. I lost more than five million naira. My husband passed away last year, and I’ve been struggling as a widow. Now, this disaster has left me shattered,” she said.
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Ifeoma Eze, another trader, described the agony of witnessing the destruction.
“We were called at night, and by the time we arrived, everything was already on fire. We could only watch as our goods burned. I couldn’t salvage anything from my shop. How do I take care of myself and my children now?” she questioned.
She added that the trauma has left some traders hospitalised due to shock.
“This incident has rendered many of us helpless. We desperately need immediate assistance,” she appealed.
The traders are calling on the government and well-meaning individuals to support them in rebuilding their livelihoods and alleviating their losses.
See pictures & video below:
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 Traders at Masaka Market in Karu Local Government Area of){kind=link}