Gyang Bere, Jos
Victims of the unfortunate fire disaster in Latanto Market Timber B, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State have said that they lost properties worth over N31 million.
A 72-year-old carpenter, Alh Umar Sokoto, who lost properties worth over N1.5 million said the last Thursday fire disaster was the 17th time fire had engulfed the market.
“This is the 17th time fire has burnt this market and I have always been a victim because each time that there was this unfortunate incident, I always lost one thing and the other.”
Alh Sokoto noted that the fire disaster destroyed timber, school desks, doors, beds, his working tools and some machines he used to work.
Also, a 30-year-old Surajo Yakubu said he lost properties worth N400, 000 to the fire disaster and called on the government to come to their rescue to enable them upset their debts.
Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, was represented by the Secretary to Government of Plateau State, Prof. Danladi Atu at the scene of the disaster to assess the level of damages.
He sympathised with the people and praised God that no life was lost in the fire incident. He pledged to consult the leadership of the market to enable him to know how he would assist in reducing the hardship suffered by the victims.
Lalong assured that government would also take critical steps towards addressing the root cause of the fire incident in the market.
Chairman of Plateau Timber Traders Association, Latanto Market Timber B, Yusuf Aliyu Umar, gave a breakdown of the items destroyed, disclosing that they were worth over N31 million.
“Total number of shops in the market were 40, about 36 of them were affected; we lost timber worth N26 million. Other items such as drilling machine, seeing machine, turning machine, planning machine among others worth N5 million and other office equipment worth N950, 000 were also destroyed; all these amount to N 31, 950,000.”