The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency has confirmed that 10 shops were gutted by fire at the popular Wuse market in Abuja after an angry mob reportedly protested the shooting of a man convicted by a mobile court sitting in the market premises.
Chronicle NG earlier reported that a section of the market was set on fire by an angry mob and a group of aggrieved traders after an officer allegedly shot a man trying to escape after he had been charged and convicted by a Mobile Court sitting in the market.
In a statement, FEMA’s Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa, claimed that a team from the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, and Julius Berger Fire Department had brought the fire under control while still dampening the area to prevent it from spreading.
Isa also stated that the agency received the distress call at 4:05 p.m., adding that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
Meanwhile, the Acting DG of FEMA, Ibrahim Sabo, appealed to residents to equip their homes and offices with firefighting equipment.
The statement read, “No fewer than 10 shops were razed down during a fire incident at the Wuse Market in Abuja. A team from the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, and Julius Berger Fire Department has since brought the fire under control.
“Julius Berger Fire Service is still dampening the scene of the fire incident to ensure it does not spread. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The FCT Emergency Management Agency FEMA received a distress call on the 112 emergency toll-free number at 4.05 pm about a fire incident at Wuse Market.
“Meanwhile, the Ag Director General of FEMA, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Sabo has again appealed to FCT residents to equip their homes and business places with basic fire fighting equipment like extinguishers and fire blankets. He noted that the 10 Shops affected by the fire incident did not have an extinguisher.
“Going forward, the Ag DG appealed to the market management to put a fire tinder in place. Sabo also urged FCT residents to avoid storing petroleum products and other combustible items in their homes.”
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed in a statement that the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Benneth Igweh, had led response teams to the scene of the incident, to restore normalcy to the market.
“The civil unrest in Wuse. The CP FCT led the response teams of the Command himself to the scene to address and put the situation under control. The police operatives are on ground and normalcy has been restored.”
