A fire gutted IFY, a popular shopping mall in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State, along with five other shops in an early morning blaze on Thursday.
The five other shops included a provision store, a bookshop, and a wine depot that supplies the Southern zone of the state, comprising nine local government areas: Mayo-Belwa, Jada, Ganye, Toungo, Shelleng, Guyuk, Demsa, Lamurder, and Numan.
Innocent Ayah, one of the victims, expressed the devastating loss, stating that he lost everything to the fire.
“I was awakened by the security personnel manning the shop around 2 a.m. that the shop was on fire,” Ayah lamented.
Chinezi Osuji, the owner of the bookshop, estimated her losses at over N70 million, including books and teaching materials, with nothing recovered from the fire.
The victims are now seeking government assistance to recover and rebuild their businesses.
During a sympathy visit to the victims, the state Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa, described the incident as a significant loss to Numan and the entire zone. She urged the victims to find solace in God, as the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Mr. Christopher Sofore, Chairman of Numan LGA, stated that the magnitude of the inferno is still under investigation.
