Fire destroys Birnin Kebbi central market

The Birnin Kebbi Central Market has been gutted by fire,  the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports.

A NAN correspondent, who visited the scene of the incident on Saturday, reported that property worth millions of naira was destroyed but no life was lost.

Abubakar Bandam, the chairman of the central market management, who told journalists in Birnin Kebbi that the fire was noticed at about 12:00 mid night, explained that the source of the inferno was yet to be determined.

He said the management of the market was working closely with security agencies to identify the cause, just as he commended the state Department of Fire Service for its prompt response.

Bello Zagga, the state Director of Fire Service, told NAN that the fire lasted several hours because the firefighting vans did not have easy access to the spot of the inferno.

He said although the source of the fire was yet to be identified,  illegal electrical wiring and connections in shops were suspected.

Officials from the state government, led by the Chief of Staff of the government house, Suleiman Argungu, and the Emir of Gwandu, Mohammad Bashar, visited the scene to sympathise with traders who lost their goods. (NAN).