The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA has put the number of shops destroyed by Saturday's fire incident at Sabon Gari market in Kano at around 3800.
The Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi, told newsmen at the market that preliminary assessment showed that more than 90 per cent of the market was destroyed by the inferno.
"It is unfortunate that, from the record, more than 90 percent of the market has been burnt. Based on the report, more than 3, 800 shops and quite a number of buildings were razed by the inferno,” he said.
He lamented that lack of access roads hindered the movement of fire fighting vehicles within the market.
“Assessment is still ongoing and the state government has mobilised over 100 trucks to clear the rubble.
“The incident was unprecedented and overwhelming and can negatively affect the economy of the country,” he said.
He also said that fifteen persons who sustained injuries in the incident were receiving treatment at the hospital.
The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB has demanded for compensation from the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje for Igbo traders whose shops were destroyed by Saturday's early morning fire at Sabon Gari market.
The inferno which consumed about four thousand shops is said to have affected mainly Igbo traders.
MASSOB in a statement signed by its National Director of Information, Sunny Okereafor lamented that Igbo businessmen have been at the receiving end of market fires and government actions across Nigeria.
“We are calling on the Kano state government to compensate victims of the Sabon Gari market fire incident. From available information MASSOB had gathered, 90% of the affcted traders are of the Igbo stock who have suffered losses.
“They should be compensated to assist them get back to business. Again, the state government should set up a probe panel to find the immediate and remote cause of the incident. Ndigbo contributes immensely to the development of Kano state, and must not be abandoned in this hour of need.
“MASSOB has lost count of market fire incidents and demolition of markets, including government induced policies targeted at Igbo traders. In Lagos state, in January 2016, Igbo traders returned from the Christmas and New Year festivities to see their shops demolished on the orders of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode and wares looted by hoodlums.
“During crises and riot situations, Igbo traders are always targeted and their goods destroyed. This is why we are calling on the international community to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to organize a referendum and grant Ndigbo an independent state of Biafra where there would be no victimization.”
Okereafor also called on Igbo businessmen to invest in the Southeast.
The presidency has disclosed that it is not making the monies recovered from corrupt past public servants because it intends to tender them as evidence before the courts.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said that Buhari would have loved to tell Nigerians how much has been recovered but could not do so at the moment.
He explained that the recovered funds have been kept in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“The issue of how much has been returned has been there. The money retrieved has to be used as evidence in court. The President said two things; we will recover and we will prosecute. So, as it is now, you don’t go and bring all these billions returned out.
“I am aware that there is an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) where some of these funds are being kept and are evidence for a judge to see. It is not for public display. I think that is the challenge we have at the moment,” he said.
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