It was a black boxing day for owners and customers of the popular departmental shopping centre, Next Cash and Carry, located along Ahmadu Bello Way, Kado-Kuchi area of Jahi-Kado expressway, in Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja.
The shopping center was gutted by fire, which started in the morning on Sunday.
A source revealed that the fire started as a result of electricity apart from one of the decorated Christmas trees.
Touts and urchins took advantage of the situation to loot the shopping center while the fire was raging on.
This comes a few months after another multi-million naira shopping centre, Ebeano supermarket, Lokogoma, Abuja, gutted fire.
As at the time of filing this report, the Federal Fire Service in conjunction with Federal Capital Territory Fire Service and other fire fighting services had stopped the fire, and security operatives had taken over the place to avoid further looting and break down of law and order,
Meanwhile, the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has expressed shock and deep sadness over the fire incident.
In a statement made available to pressmen, by his Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, Malam Bello, on behalf of the FCT Administration and the entire residents of the FCT Commiserated with the management and staff of the supermarket and the FCT business community over the unfortunate incident.
The Minister commended the FCT Fire Service, the Federal Fire Service, the Fire Service Departments of the Nigerian Navy, Air Force, Guards Brigade, and Julius Berger Nig. PLC that responded with their fire-fighting equipment.
He equally commended the FCT FEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency, Security agencies, and other responders for their efforts in containing the blaze.
Malam Bello also assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the fire incident in an effort to prevent a reoccurrence in any other business establishment within the FCT.
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