Fire Destroys 100 Shops in Otukpo Market

Fire Destroys 100 Shops in Otukpo Market

By George Okoh

Over 100 shops and property worth over N50 million were yesterday destroyed by fire at the Otukpo main market in Benue State.

This is the second time in this year that the market has been gutted by fire.

The fire, according to a shop owner at the market, started around 5 a.m. when most traders were still at home.

However, a supervisory councilor of the local government area in charge of Finance and Revenue, Shedrack Abu, said it took the swift intervention of men of Fire Service Department to put out the fire which lasted several hours, adding that the cause of the inferno is yet to be ascertained.

According to him, several building and plastic materials, and electronics were destroyed by the fire.

The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area Hon George Ali, describe the fire incident as unfortunate and sad.

He said there was an ongoing plan to restructure the market following an earlier fire incident which affected the market.

He sympathised with the traders, and assured them that the market would be restructured to avoid any other accident.

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