The Wukari Yam sellers at the famous Wukari Yam market in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, have been counting their losses following an overnight fire disaster that destroyed over N200 million worth of tubers on Saturday, 12th February 2022.
Confirming the incident to our Correspondent in Wukari, the Chairman of the Local Government Council, Mr. Adi Grace said several bands of Yams in the largest Yam market in the state were razed down by the fire.
The Chairman said that at the moment they cannot ascertain the cause of the disaster, but a high-powered committee has been set up to try and identify the cause with the view to take measures that could forestall future incidents.
Similarly, the Chairman of Wukari Yam Market Association, Mr. Anthony Agbu who conducted journalists round the market, disclosed that the fire was noticed at about 2 am on Saturday and that tubers of Yams along with other valuables such as motorcycles were burnt.
Mr. Agbu who could not also trace the causes of the inferno, however, explained that yams worth over N200 million were burnt to ashes, a situation which he believed would hurt the traders.
According to the chairman of the association, some of the traders went into comer on getting the news of the incident, while he appealed to the Taraba State government and other well-meaning Nigerians to urgently come to their aide.
Some of the affected traders who managed and spoke with newsmen at the scene of the incident, decried the level of damage caused by the inferno.
Mr. Emmanuel Gani, a trader at the affected market said: “I am passionately calling on the governments at all levels to come to our aides”, while Margaret Adashu, said all her earnings have gone down the drain overnight.
Sani Sulaiman/ Jalingo