President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday visited Maiduguri, Borno State to console the victims of last Sunday fire disaster at the Maiduguri Monday Market.
He was received on arrival by the Borno State governor Babagana Umara Zulum and the vice president- elect, Kashim Shettima.
Buhari was accompanied by the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC), Mr Mele Kyari, former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, minister of humanitarian affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, among other dignitaries.
Buhari on arrival proceeded to the palace of Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Elkanemi, where he paid homage to the monarch before proceeding to the newly constructed Ahmadu Bello way road for commissioning, from where he moved to the Maiduguri Monday Market to sympathise with the victims of last Sunday early morning fire incident.
At the Shehu Of Borno’s Palace, the president expressed grief over the fire disaster on Sunday, February 26, which razed Maiduguri’s Monday Market.
The president said, “I am here to commiserate with you over the fire incident at the market. I am mainly here to go and see the market, but the governor has hijacked me to commission his projects,” he stressed.
Earlier, the Shehu expressed gratitude to President Buhari for standing with the people of Borno in their trying times.
From the Monday Market, the president would proceed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital to commission Doctors quarters, UMTH Cancer Centre.
Buhari will thereafter move to Bolori layout to commission the newly rehabilitated road from where he will move to Maiduguri gas power plant to inaugurate the 50mw gas plant.
