Kano fire outbreak: Tinubu dispatches Shettima to Kano with financial relief for victims

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

In the wake of a devastating fire that ravaged Singer Market in Kano, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead a high-powered Federal Government delegation to the state to commiserate with affected traders and pledge immediate financial support.

The delegation is scheduled to depart Abuja on Monday to assess the situation firsthand. The visit aims to convey the President’s condolences over the weekend blaze that consumed billions of Naira in goods and property at one of Nigeria’s largest food markets.

According to a statement from the State House, the Vice President will pledge federal financial assistance to help alleviate the suffering of the victims and collaborate with the Kano State Government to facilitate the swift reopening of the market.

The high-level team comprises key figures from the legislature and emergency services. Members include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin; Senator Kawu Ismaila; and Rep. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, are also part of the entourage.

The fire, which ignited on Saturday evening and persisted into Sunday morning, caused widespread destruction. President Tinubu, who had previously spoken via telephone with Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, expressed deep concern over the incident, noting his alarm that this marked the second fire at the same market in less than two weeks.

In response to the recurring incidents, the President has ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine the root causes of the frequent market fires that continue to plunge traders into despair.