By Azeez Sulaiman
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Abuja Operations Office conducted an on-the-spot assessment Monday morning following a devastating fire that swept through sections of the Karimo Market in the Federal Capital Territory.
The inferno, which began around 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, decimated numerous shops and resulted in significant financial losses for local traders.
While the immediate area has been cordoned off for safety and investigation, the full economic impact is still being calculated.
Emergency responders reportedly struggled for hours to contain the flames.
Initial efforts were hampered by limited resources, as the first two water tankers deployed proved insufficient against the scale of the fire.
It took the arrival of five additional tankers to finally bring the situation under control, though by then, large portions of the market had already been consumed.
A specialized NEMA team visited the site to evaluate the structural damage and identify the immediate needs of the displaced traders.
The team was received by the Market Chairman, Alhaji Lawali Umar, who guided officials through the charred remains of the affected blocks and provided preliminary data on the impacted businesses.
“The assessment is a critical step in determining the scale of support required for those who have lost their livelihoods,” a NEMA official noted during the walkthrough.
Fortunately, no fatalities were recorded in the incident. To prevent further tragedy, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) deployed personnel to maintain order and secure the perimeter.
Security forces confirmed that several individuals were arrested at the scene for allegedly attempting to loot goods from the damaged stalls.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Authorities have officially launched an investigation to determine the point of origin and whether the outbreak was the result of an electrical fault or other factors.
For now, the traders of Karimo Market remain in a state of mourning as they sift through the ruins of their shops.
