12th March, 2024
By Philip Yatai
At least 10 shops and some yet-to be – determined number of vehicles were burnt in the fire incident at the popular Wuse market in Abuja on Tuesday. The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed this while dismissing report that the whole market was consumed by the inferno as was speculated on some social media platforms.
FEMA’s Head of Public Affairs, Mrs Nkechi Isa who confirmed this in a statement, however said no life was lost in the inferno at the Wuse market.
Isa added that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
She, however, said the fire was brought under control by a combined team of the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, and Julius Berger Fire Department.
The FEMA spokesperson said the agency received a distress call on the 112 emergency toll-free number at 4.05 pm about the fire incident at the market.
She added that the Agency, being the lead coordinating body for all emergencies in the FCT, thereafter, activated its stakeholders to ensure maximum response.
Isa identified the stakeholders as the FCT Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, National Emergency Management Agency, FCT Police Command, and Julius Berger Fire Service.
The acting Director General of FEMA, Mr Mohammed Sabo, appealed to FCT residents to equip their homes and business places with basic firefighting equipment like extinguishers and fire blankets.
Sabo noted that the 10 shops affected by the fire incident did not have a fire extinguisher.
He also noted that access to Wuse market was unhampered allowing the fire trucks to effectively fight the fire.
He advised market management to put a fire tinder in place to prevent loss of properties during fire outbreaks.
Sabo also urged FCT residents to avoid storing petroleum products and other combustible items in their homes.
He called on residents to always use the 112-emergency toll-free number in the event of an emergency.
Earlier, Mr Innocent Amaechina, spokesman of the Abuja Market Management Ltd (AMML), who confirmed the outbreak of the fire said that only a portion of the market was affected.
Amaechina refuted the erroneous report in social media that the whole Wuse market was engulfed in fire.
The official, who also could not confirm the cause of the fire, said that the incident reportedly began between 2pm and 3:00 p.m.
He said that some shops, including the office of the AMML in the market, were burnt down by the fire.
He added that some vehicles parked at the northern parking lots in the market were equally burnt.
“I have not been able to have access to the market to assess the extent of the damage, but the police and fire service officials have arrived at the scene and taken control of the situation,” he said.
(NAN)