One year after devastating blaze, fire razes over 100 stores at Dakata market again in Kano

Barely one year after a devastating blaze ravaged parts of Fatima Simra Multipurpose Market at Dakata Industrial layout, Nasarawa local government area, Kano State and weeks after a similar tragedy at Singa Market, another inferno has swept through the popular commercial hub, destroying over 100 stores and leaving traders reeling from losses estimated at over N1 billion.

Chairman of the market, Dauda Haruna Chula, said he received a distress call at about 4:00 a.m. informing him of the outbreak.

He stated that, “I was called around 4:00 a.m. and told about the devastating fire at our market. Because I was not nearby at the time, I immediately contacted those who were close to the market and asked them to alert the relevant authorities to help contain the situation.”

Chula said the exact cause of the fire had yet to be determined, noting that various accounts were circulating among traders and residents.

“As of now, we cannot ascertain the real source of the fire. There are different versions of what might have caused it, and we are working to verify the facts,” he stated.

SolaceBase reports that the market is widely known for the production of groundnut oil and for trading in rubber materials and leisure-related consumables such as food items, bread and other items—many of which are highly flammable.

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The chairman noted that oil producers were among the worst affected.

According to him, more than 100 makeshift shops were completely burnt to ashes.

He estimated the losses at over N1 billion, adding that most of those affected are small-scale traders who depend on daily earnings from the market to support their families.

“This market is the only source of livelihood for many of our members,” he said, calling on the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to urgently intervene.

He lamented that a N100 million support earlier promised after the previous fire incident had yet to be fulfilled, even one year later.

“We are still waiting for the N100 million that we were promised after the last fire. Up till now, nothing has been given, and here we are again facing another tragedy,” Chula said.

He, however, expressed appreciation to ASPIRA Nigeria Limited as well as the state and federal fire services for their efforts in containing the blaze.

Despite the acknowledgement, he stressed that quicker intervention could have minimized the scale of destruction.

In a separate account, one of the victims, Malam Auwal Mahrazu, whose stall was completely razed, said the fire started around 3:00 a.m. during a night shift.

He explained that some workers were attempting to clear a grinding filling machine that had become clogged.

“Sometimes when we are working and the filling machine gets congested, we burn it slightly and then wash it to clear the blockage so work can continue smoothly,” he said.

According to him, the workers briefly left the area—possibly to get something for their pre-dawn meal—only to return and find flames already spreading to nearby stalls and valuable goods.

Before they came back, the fire had started catching other places. They tried to stop it, but it was beyond control,” Mahrazu recounted.

He said more than 200 makeshift stalls were affected by the blaze, though the intervention of firefighters prevented it from spreading further.

Another trader, Isa Abubakar, described the incident as a divine test.

“This is nothing but a test from Allah. Only God truly knows how it started,” he said, adding that his entire shop was completely burnt down.

Abubakar commended the fire service personnel, noting that they battled the flames for hours.

He urged Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to implement lasting measures to address recurring fire outbreaks in Kano markets.

Another trader, Abdulkadir Aliyu, said he had not yet recovered from the previous fire incident before this latest disaster struck.

He called on the government to fulfill its earlier promise of financial support, lamenting that no assistance had been provided despite the earlier pledge.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusuf, confirmed that the agency received information about the incident but said a comprehensive report had yet to be compiled.

The latest inferno adds to growing concerns about fire safety in Kano’s major markets, where traders operate in densely packed wooden structures and handle highly combustible materials.