ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
Several shops and properties worth millions of Naira were last night destroyed Bababa shopping complex, following an inferno that gutted the biggest Complex in Bauchi metropolis, located around the Wunti market.
NATIONAL ACCORD learnt that the fire started in the early hours of Saturday as combined fire fighters from the State Fire Service, Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and the Federal Polytechnic Fire Services fought to control the fire from spreading to other adjoining buildings.
Although it was yet to be ascertained as of press time the number of shops destroyed but the shopping complex which has no fewer than 100 shops and stalls was said to have been severely burnt down.
The cause of the fire could also not be ascertained but there are insinuations that it may have been caused as a result of power surge when the Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) Company restored power supply thereby causing sparks from some of the shops.
The Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Fire Service, Abubakar Bala, in an interview with our Correspondent stated that the fire started at about 12.45am on Saturday.
“Our men responded to the emergency calls and rushed to the scene for rescue operations but unfortunately, the shops upstairs were all affected,” he said.
When asked on the exact number of shops destroyed he said: “for now, we don’t have the exact number because our men are still there counting and trying to have the value of goods destroyed and those saved in the shopping complex belonging to Alhaji Labaran Bababa.”
Bala said that the combined team were able to contain the fire from spreading adding that “there was no loss of life because it happened at midnight when everyone had gone home.”
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who was also at the scene, joined others as soon as he got the news, to participate in the rescue efforts
The Governor empathized with the victims of the incident urging them to take it as an act of Allah.
He thanked God that no life was lost to the disaster though properties and sources of livelihood must have been lost.
Mohammed who was at the scene for few hours assured that the remote and immediate causes of the incident will be investigated by the relevant authorities just as he promised that government will immediately take steps to assist the victims by mitigating their losses.