Yola market fire: Police arrest looters as traders weep over losses

The Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, Gazali Mohammed, has confirmed the arrest of “some looters” at the Yola ancient market gutted by fire on Monday.

The fire started in the wee hours of the day. Mohammed made the confirmation Monday while inspecting security deployment at the market.

Mohammed, who did not give the number of those arrested, said adequate security measures had been provided at the scene to check activities of looters.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that many shop owners broken down in tears as a result of the losses suffered in the fire incident.

The Chairman of the market traders association, Mallam Ali Kachalla, said 90 per cent of the market was affected.

“This is the worst fire incident i can remember in 50 years,” Kachalla said.

Kachalla urged for government support for the victims.

Commenting on the incident, the state Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, Sa’ad Abubakar, said the fire started around 3am and that no life was lost.

Abubakar said fire fighters from the state fire service, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, and the American University of Nigeria intervened to contain the inferno.

Meanwhile, the state Deputy Governor, Martins Babale, and the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Kabiru Mijinyawa, had visited the scene to sympathize with the traders.