Millions worth of property lost as fire engulfs Kogi GSM market

Fire ravaged the GSM village near Kpata Market in Lokoja, Kogi State, destroying properties worth millions of naira.

The blaze erupted in the early hours of Thursday, reportedly due to a power surge.

Reportters indicate that the fire began early in the morning and quickly spiraled out of control, leaving shop owners unable to recover any of their goods. By the time they arrived, the flames had already consumed many stores.

Muhammed Yahaya, a trader who lost his goods to the fire narrated: “I received a call around 5:30 am informing me that the market was on fire. When I arrived, numerous shops were already destroyed. We tried to determine the cause of the fire and learned from residents who stay within that a high voltage power surge might be to blame.”

“Neighbors reported that the inccident affected their fans, light and other things. Millions of naira worth of goods have been destroyed including laptops, phones, and accessories were all destroyed. The most unfortunate thing is that, many of us had just received new stock this week. It has never happened before. It is still a big shock to every one of us who owns shop in the market.”

Yahaya has called on the Kogi State Government to provide financial assistance and support in rebuilding the market.

“We believe in our Governor’s ability to listen and help. Many of us are graduate who created our own job opportunities and not waiting for the Government to provide jobs for us.

The properties we have built up over 15 years were lost in an hour. We need the government’s help to recover and rebuild, especially since about 200 youths depend on this market for their livelihood.”

Moses Felix, Financial Secretary of the Kogi Association of Phones and Accessories Dealers (KAPAD), expressed his emotional and financial distress.

“This morning, I was devastated when my shop burned down. I handle laptop repairs and sales, and the goods that arrived this week were completely destroyed. I’m now left with nothing and must start over.”

“I am a married Man with kids. Where do I go from here and how can I feed my family in the midst of this economic hardship? The Government should come to our aide. We provide jobs for people. I have like three boys that are working for me who are under my payroll. Definitely, they are going back home without job,” Felix lamented

As of this report, fire service officials are still working to extinguish the blaze.