A devastating fire has destroyed properties worth millions of naira at the well-known rice mill market in Wurukum, near the River Benue Bridge in Makurdi.
The fire erupted in the early hours of Monday, prompting a swift response from firefighters who managed to contain the blaze from spreading further.
Despite their efforts, several shops were consumed by the inferno, leading to the loss of processed and unprocessed rice, milling machines, and other valuables.
One affected trader, Mercy Hanmaikyur, lamented the significant loss, revealing that she had invested approximately ¦ 10 million in her shop, which was completely destroyed.
“I opened this shop in December after investing around ¦ 10 million. I had three machines—a de-stoning machine, a rice polishing machine—and numerous bags of processed and unprocessed rice. Everything was lost,” she said.
Another victim, Iorwa Jeremiah, shared his distress, noting that the fire occurred when there was no one around to salvage anything.
“I received a distress call in the early hours of today. By the time I arrived, I found other shop owners and firefighters struggling to put out the flames. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done,” he said.
The Chairman of the Wurukum Rice Mill Market, Terva Igyar, confirmed the destruction of multiple shops, a motorcycle, six milling machines, and numerous bags of rice.
Igyar stated that he had contacted Makurdi Local Government officials and other stakeholders, who have pledged to visit the site to assess the extent of the damage before determining the total financial loss.
The traders dismissed electricity as a possible cause of the fire, stating that their shops were not connected to any power supply.
Affected shop owners have appealed to Governor Hyacinth Alia for assistance in rebuilding their businesses.