Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has commiserated with victims of the recent fire outbreak at the Old Market in Sokoto, pledging the state government’s support to affected traders.
The Governor described the incident as unfortunate and appealed to traders whose shops were affected to accept it as the will of Almighty Allah.
“The impact of this inferno goes beyond the affected traders; it also affects the government and the entire people of Sokoto State,” the Governor said.
He noted that the market serves as a major source of livelihood for a large number of residents in the state.
Governor Aliyu assured the leadership of the Sokoto State Traders Association of his administration’s determination to support traders affected by the incident.
He prayed to Almighty Allah to prevent future occurrences and urged the affected traders to continue to seek divine protection over their investments.
The Governor also commended the prompt response of the Sokoto State Fire Service and the traders, which helped to prevent the fire from spreading to other shops.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Sokoto State Traders Association, Alhaji Chika Sarkin Gishiri, said the fire, which started at about 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, affected 50 shops and destroyed property worth hundreds of millions of naira. He added that no life was lost in the incident.
Alhaji Sarkin Gishiri appealed to the state government to support the affected traders to enable them to resume their businesses.
He also commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu for his consistent support to traders in the state, assuring him of their unalloyed support for the present administration.
The inferno was still burning at the time the Governor visited the scene.
