Fire Razes Popular Mararaba Market In Nasarawa State (See Photos)

Popular Mararaba market in Nasarawa State was gutted by fire in the wee hours of Saturday morning Many of the shops with goods worth millions of Naira have been destroyed.

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the fire started from the tomato section and quickly spread to the other sections of the market.

When a news agent visited the market, located in Mararaba, along Abuja-Keffi road in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa state, the whole market was razed down, unlike last year’s incident that few shops were not touched.

Many traders were seen discussing the yearly occurrence of fire incident in the market, while scavengers had filed day packing the debris from the market.

An eye witness, popularly known as Tumbi Giwa, who spoke to correspondent in Hauwa language said the fire broke up from the tomoto section of the market at about 2.15 am and that by the time the fire service operative arrived, the market was up in flames.

“The fire service people, on discovering that the fire could no longer be quenched, even with the arrival of their second vehicle, retreated and left the scene of the fire”.

According to the eye witness who resides close to the market, hoodlums took advantage of the incident and looted most of the shops.
She said about N400, 000 she held in her hand during the incident was snatched from her by hoodlums, adding that the Nasarawa state government needs to come to the aid of traders in the market as many of the traders collected loans to stock their shops.

Many traders who spoke to our correspondent wondered why fire incident happened every year in the market.

A yam seller in the market, Juliet Abah who was crying profusely at the scene of the incidence said she just brought into her shop a trailer load of yam a day before the fire incidence.

Mrs Abah, who said she borrowed money to purchase the yams, wondered how she will manage to settle the loan she collect.

Although the market is popular for sale of fruits and vegetables over time other wares from household items to secondhand clothing are being sold in the market.

Checks revealed that the market was gutted by fire in 2014 and last year, with the last year incidence happening on Saturday, same day that this year’s fire incident happened.

When it happened last year, the state governor, Alhaji Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State donated N20 million to traders to facilitate the completion of the new ‘Orange’ market’.

Al-Makura noted that the construction of the market was done through communal efforts by the traders at the orange market.

The governor recalled that when the state government began the exercise to decongest the Abuja – Keffi highway, it (government) muted the idea of relocating the market.

He stated that the traders then expressed their desire to construct another market for which they acquired a piece of land some metres away from the road.

He commended the traders for the initiative and praised the efforts and financial commitment they had put in to make their dream a reality.

“The market which has 300 shops and other facilities for all categories of traders especially grocery would add tremendous value to business activities within the Karu corridor, “ Al-Makura said.

The governor said the government had awarded about N100 million contract for the construction of a bridge to link the new market and added that the project was 90 per cent completed.

He stated that government would pull down the old market and use the land to build a mini-stadium to serve the recreational needs of the people in the area.

He expressed the hope that the stadium would help to curb youth restiveness and groom new talents that would bring glory in sports to the state and the nation.

Earlier, Baba Ali, Chairman of the Traders Association, who took the governor round the market, said the traders’ needs to include; electricity, access road within the market, and landscaping.

More photos from the scene after the cut…