Tinubu sympathises with traders as seven die, 1,000 shops affected in Kano market fire

President Bola Tinubu expressed his sympathies on Sunday to the traders following a catastrophic fire that destroyed over 1,000 shops and killed at least seven people at the Singer Market in Kano.

​The chairperson of the market, Junaid Zakari, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the inferno decimated more than 1,000 businesses, including shops and stalls.

Early estimates suggest that properties and goods worth over N5 billion were destroyed in the blaze.

​Mr Zakari described the incident as one of the worst tragedies in the market’s history.

​”This is one of the worst tragedies in the history of Singer Market. Four residential buildings housing small-scale businesses were completely razed,” Mr Zakari stated.

​The “residential buildings” refer to multi-storey structures or large compounds that house hundreds of individual shops and stalls.

​Mr Zakari confirmed that seven fatalities had been recorded as of the time of the report. While the specific causes of death—whether due to smoke inhalation, burns, or the physical trauma of the event—remain unconfirmed, the chairperson noted that investigations are ongoing.

​”Seven people have died as of now. Investigations are underway to determine the exact circumstances surrounding their deaths,” he told News Agency of Nigeria.

​Emergency responders and security agencies remain on-site, working to determine the cause of the inferno and ensure the area is secure.

Tinubu sympathises with traders

President Tinubu has commiserated with the traders and the people of Kano State over the devastating fire outbreak.

READ ALSO: Traders count losses as fire razes Kano market again

Presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, said President Tinubu had earlier reached out to Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf to obtain a situation report on the fire, describing the incident as tragic.

“The President was particularly alarmed that the latest incident came less than two weeks after another fire destroyed dozens of shops and property at the same market.

“President Tinubu directed a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the market fires, which often leave traders in despair”, Mr Onanuga stated.