Fire Guts Borno Biggest Market Hours After Boko Haram Disrupted Election

Fire has engulfed Monday Market in Maiduguri, the most popular and biggest market in Borno State, North East part of the country.

Naija News gathered that the inferno started around 2am on Sunday, February 26, 2023, and has spread to different parts of the market.

The cause of the fire is still unknown as many traders wept uncontrollably, counting their losses to the inferno.

An official of the market, who identified himself simply as, Goni, told Daily Trust that there are over 10,000 shops in the market.

“The market is the destination of all good that are brought into Maiduguri from Kano, Lagos, and even outside Nigeria.

“It’s a great loss the economy, it’s a great loss to our livelihood, especially now that the people have started recovering from the devastation of Boko Haram insurgency,” he said.

Efforts to put out the fire by the state fire service have not yielded results, as the fire continues to rage, destroying the largest part of the market.

According to Daily Trust, a large number of youths looting from the goods that were saved from the raging fire, while banks that are operating in the market area were affected.

Meanwhile, soldiers have been deployed to the scene to arreste the looting and vandalisation of some nearby shops.

The sad incident happened hours after the voting exercise was disrupted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, who stormed Goza town in the Goza Local Government Area of the state.

It learned that the insurgents struck while voters were participating in the ongoing presidential and parliamentary elections.

Confirming the attack, the Emir of Goza, Mohammed Shehu Timta, in an interview with Daily Trust, said five persons were injured.

According to him, the terrorists invaded the heart of the town and started shooting sporadically noting that five persons who sustained injury had been taken to the hospital.

He said the insurgents came in the early hours of the day when voters had queued for accreditation and were ready to cast their votes.

He said security agencies arrived at the venue and chased the infiltrators adding situation has been brought under control.