A midnight inferno in Zaria, Kaduna State gutted about 150 shops at the popular Sabon Gari market.
This has been confirmed by the Head of Corporate Affairs, Kaduna Electric Company, KEDCO, Abdul Azeez Abdullahi.
Although, he denied speculations that electricity sparks caused the inferno.
According to him, reports received indicated that the fire incident started in one of the shops in the market., where no fewer than 150 shops were destroyed at the ‘Yan Katako’ Market in Sabon Gari Zaria.
However, a local official, who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity, said: “the fire spread to other shops in the market and that efforts to attract fire service agencies within the area were not successful.
“I personally went to the Kofar Doka Fire Service office. I was informed that their operation vehicle was not in good shape. I then proceeded to the Kongo campus of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) where I was told they had been directed not to operate outside the university premises.
“I finally contacted the fire service at the Sabon Gari Main Market. They asked me to provide fuel for them, which I did before they responded,” he alleged.
