A massive fire consumed hundreds of shops at Katsina Central Market early Wednesday morning. The blaze destroyed goods worth hundreds of millions of naira in minutes.
Eyewitnesses said flames erupted before dawn. They spread rapidly across the market section, swallowing shops packed with food, fabrics, and other merchandise.
Traders who rushed to the scene found total devastation. Thick smoke, twisted metal, and smouldering remains replaced thriving businesses.
One trader wept as he surveyed the wreckage. "Everything I built over the years is gone," he told reporters, his voice breaking.
"This shop was my life."
Multiple merchants blamed slow emergency response for the catastrophic losses. They noted the Katsina State Fire Service arrived too late to contain the flames.
A frustrated trader said delays were inexcusable. "Before firefighters showed up, everything had burned down.
Yet we're still asked to pay for their fuel," he said.
Officials eventually brought the inferno under control. But traders insisted the late arrival allowed it to engulf more shops than necessary.
Leaders of the Katsina Central Market Traders Association called it a painful repeat of systemic failures. They said emergency services routinely lack funding for basic operations.
According to the association, traders must raise money for fuel before fire trucks can even respond. This delay costs them dearly during crises.
The association chairman urged immediate government action. "Empower the fire service now," he said in a statement to reporters.
"Emergencies demand instant response, not waiting for fuel contributions."
He warned that without proper funding and equipment, such disasters will keep happening. Traders' livelihoods remain at constant risk.
Another affected merchant expressed the same frustration. Timely help would've stopped the fire from spreading so far, he noted.
Idris Gachi, a firefighter, suffered a serious foot injury while battling the blaze. No traders or other civilians died in the incident.
Hundreds of families now face uncertain survival. They depend entirely on market income for food and shelter.
For these merchants, this isn't just another fire. It's a desperate cry for authorities to prevent the next tragedy from happening.
