A devastating fire broke out early Monday morning at the popular rice mill market in Wurukum, located near the River Benue bridge in Makurdi, Benue State, destroying properties worth millions of naira.
Firefighters responded promptly, preventing the fire from spreading to other parts of the market. Despite their efforts, several shops were severely damaged, with processed and unprocessed rice, milling machines, and other goods completely lost in the blaze.
One of the victims, Mercy Hanmaikyur, who had opened her shop just three months ago, shared her story:
“I invested about N10 million in this shop in December. I had three machines—a de-stoning machine, a rice polishing machine—and many bags of rice. Everything is gone.”
Another trader, Iorwa Jeremiah, recalled how he was alerted to the fire. “I got a call early this morning, but by the time I arrived, the fire had already destroyed my shop. Firefighters were working hard, but the damage was done,” he said.
The market’s Chairman, Terva Igyar, confirmed that a number of shops, six milling machines, and a motorcycle were lost in the fire. He added that local government officials had been notified and would soon visit to assess the total damage.
Shop owners ruled out an electrical fault as the cause of the fire, pointing out that their shops were not connected to the power grid. The affected traders have appealed to Governor Hyacinth Alia for assistance in recovering from their losses.
Source: Punch
