Fire engulfs Jos market, razes 217 shops — Official

Fire has engulfed a segment of Jos Terminus Market in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State with over 217 shops were burnt.

Properties worth millions of naira were also lost.

The state Commissioner of Police, Undie Adie, who visited the market confirmed the incident to reporters in Jos.

The chairman of petty traders in the market, Mustafa Ibrahim, told PREMIUM TIMES that the incident began around 1.30am midnight and the cause of is still unknown.

“About 217 temporary shops were burnt. Estimatedly, we have lost more than N70 million in the incident,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Adie said: “Some of the things we have salvaged were secured at the police post. We are liaising with the chairman of the market so that we can identify those who suffered losses.”

Responding to the incident, the chairman of Traders Association of the market, AbdulRahman Jimoh Yusuf, said the fire razed about 217 shops and properties worth millions of naira were equally burnt.

“One marketer, Alhaji Magaji Abdullahi has more than 166 dealers and each dealer lost about N180, 000, when you made the multiplication it would give you N29, 880, 000. And many marketers lost their properties worth millions of Naira,” Mr Jimoh explained.

The fire service operatives are still making efforts to put an end to the fire.