Foodstuffs estimated at over N1 billion were, in the early hours of Wednesday January 2, 2019, consumed in a fire incidence which occurred at the Wadata Market, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

According to Daily Sun, the fire incident started at about 1:00a.m from the poultry section of the marker and quickly spread through the fish section to the palm oil and grains section of the market.

Sources disclosed that for more than four hours, both the state Fire Service and individuals battled to put out the fire and eventually brought it under control at about 5:00am.

When our correspondent visited the market in the morning, smoke was still seen billowing from the wreckage even as traders whose shops were affected were seen trying to salvage what was left of their wares.

Some of the affected traders cried their hearts out as they counted their loses while watching helplessly how the fire had reduced their hitherto stocked shops to rubles.

Some of the affected traders who spoke with our correspondent including Rahamatu Mahamnadu, Samsiya Ibrahim, Ladi Isa and Maria Samuel said they lost over 200 bags of grains to the inferno.

While positing that most of them had to take loans to stock their shops ahead of the new year and all called on government to come to their aid.

On his part, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Doo Shave who noted that the Fire Service received a running call from one of the affected traders around 2:00a.m said he quickly mobilised the fire trucks to the scene and eventually put the fire under control around 5am.

While noting that the State Fore Service is now well equipped to fight fire specially within the state capital, Shave however noted that the Service would need smoke detector to better swiftly respond to incidence of fire in the state.

“We have five functional trucks in the state now. We did not arrive late but we got their as soon as we reported. We do not have smoke detectors. Fire was reported to us at about 2am and within ten minutes we mobilized to the scene.”

Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom who also visited the scene of the fire incidence announce that the sum of N30 million be made available to the traders to help cushion the effect of their loses.

•Sourced from a Daily Sun report

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