The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday, visited the popular Monday Market in Maiduguri, Borno State, where fire gutted over 13,000 shops and destroyed goods worth billions of naira last Sunday.
Buhari also commiserated with the government and people of the state on the unfortunate incident.
According to a statement on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari visited the market, still smoldering five days after, along with Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima, members of the Federal Executive Council and some eminent citizens of the state.
The statement was titled ‘President Buhari tours ruins of Maiduguri Monday Market as FG donates relief items to victims.’
Although the cause of the fire was not immediately known, eyewitnesses say it started between 2.30am and 3am.
During his visit, Buhari was also at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar El-Kanemi, to register his condolences to indigenes of the state.
“I am delighted to be here with the Shehu and the good people of Borno State, to commiserate with you on the unfortunate Monday Market fire incident,” Buhari said.
On her part, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, told the President she was still assessing the level of damage.
“After the assessment, the ministry will submit a full report to Mr President to seek special intervention,” she said.
In the meantime, however, the Federal Government has released 20,000 bags of rice, 20,000 bags of maize and condiments as immediate relief materials to the victims of the fire incident.
The state governor, Zulum, said the market was built in the 1970s, adding that government had provided an immediate support of N1bn to the victims.
Source: Punchng
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