RismadarVoice Reporters
January 24, 2026
The Sokoto State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has donated ₦2 million to traders affected by a recent fire that gutted parts of the Old Market in Sokoto metropolis, describing the gesture as a show of solidarity with citizens whose livelihoods were abruptly disrupted.
A delegation of the party, led by the State Chairman, Abubakar Yawale, and the party’s leader in the state, Chief Ifeanyi Ezeagu, visited the scene of the incident on Friday to assess the level of destruction and interact with affected traders.
Speaking during the visit, Yawale said the donation was aimed at supporting victims as they struggle to recover from the losses caused by the inferno.
“We came to stand with our people. We pray that the Almighty God restores every loss in multiples. But beyond prayers, we urge the government to modernise our firefighting capacity from equipment to training so that tragedies like this can be contained effectively,” he said.
The delegation was received by the Chairman of the Sokoto Traders Association, Alhaji Abubakar Gishiri, who described the donation as timely and morale-boosting for traders still assessing the extent of their losses.
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Sunday, destroyed dozens of shops at the century-old Old Market, one of Sokoto’s busiest commercial centres. Traders said goods worth hundreds of millions of naira were lost, including clothing, household items, foodstuffs, and phone accessories.
Officials of the Sokoto State Fire Service said investigations into the cause of the blaze were ongoing, though preliminary findings suggest a possible electrical fault.
Also speaking, Chief Ifeanyi Ezeagu, who has business interests in the state and has facilitated employment opportunities for youths through private ventures, prayed for the quick recovery of the victims, urging them not to lose hope.
“Markets are the heart of our communities. When traders suffer, everyone feels it,” he said.
In his response, Sarkin Gishiri commended the Labour Party for the intervention and praised Ezeagu for his long-standing support for the state.
“Ifeanyi, you are now an indigene of Sokoto, you are our brother, and we are very proud of you,” he said, addressing traders at the market.
The Sokoto State Labour Party said the visit was part of its broader commitment to supporting vulnerable communities during emergencies.
“We cannot fold our arms when citizens are in pain,” Yawale added.
Market fires have become a recurring challenge in Sokoto State and across northwest Nigeria, prompting renewed calls for stronger regulatory enforcement, improved market planning, and better-equipped fire service units. The Old Market has recorded several fire incidents in recent years, raising concerns over electrical safety standards, storage practices, and emergency response systems.
For traders like Aliyu Dahiru, whose foodstuffs shop was destroyed, the donation represents more than financial assistance.
“It does not repair the damage, but it shows that we are not forgotten. Many of us built these businesses from scratch. We just need support to start again,” he said.
