President Bola Tinubu has sympathised with traders and residents of Kano State following the devastating fire outbreak at the Singer Market, describing the incident as tragic and ordering a comprehensive investigation into its cause.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President expressed concern over the recurring fire incidents at the market.
Tinubu, who reportedly contacted Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for a situation report, noted that the latest blaze occurred less than two weeks after a similar fire destroyed shops and property at the same market.
The fire, which broke out on Saturday evening, raged into Sunday morning and caused extensive damage to the popular food market. The President directed relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the persistent outbreaks, stressing the need to prevent future occurrences that leave traders counting heavy losses.
The incident has sparked widespread concern across Kano, with traders reporting losses running into billions of naira and several persons initially feared missing.
Governor Yusuf, who visited the Gidan Gilas section of the market while the fire was still raging, called on the Federal Government to urgently provide modern firefighting equipment, including aerial support, to strengthen emergency response capacity in the state.
According to him, such intervention would significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the state fire service and reduce the scale of destruction during similar emergencies. He also commended the Kano State Fire Service and security agencies for their efforts in containing the blaze and urged residents to remain calm.
Chairman of the Singer Market, Junaid Zakari, disclosed that properties worth over N5 billion were destroyed, affecting more than 1,000 businesses. He described the inferno as one of the worst tragedies in the market’s history, noting that goods, equipment, and residential buildings used for small-scale enterprises were razed.
Zakari added that seven persons had been declared missing as of Sunday, with emergency responders working to determine their whereabouts.
Authorities have yet to officially establish the cause of the fire, as affected traders continue to assess the magnitude of their losses and salvage what remains of their property.
One of the victims, Isa Abubakar, said he lost goods valued at over N200 million, lamenting the scale of destruction. Another trader, Musa Ibrahim, said merchandise worth more than N340 million was consumed in the inferno, describing the incident as devastating.
