Jigawa Loses Properties Worth Over N30 Million To Fire In Two Months

By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse

Some communities in four local government areas in Jigawa state have lost properties worth over N30 million to fire incidents in the last two months.

The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA) Dr. Haruna Mairiga, who confirmed the development while chatting with reporters in Dutse on Monday, however, blamed the development on the carelessness of the people.

The SEMA boss who lamented the rising incidents of fire disaster in the state, said the agency was working collaboratively with the relevant stakeholders with a view to stemming the incidents of fire disasters in the state.

According to him, “The incidents of fire outbreaks in the state is becoming alarming, as it is occurring virtually on daily basis, despite the fact that we’ve been stepping up efforts at enlightening the people on the dangers of bush burning and the need to minimize it.

He identified Buji, Jahun Kazaure and Birnwa as some of the local government areas where incidents of fire outbreaks have been reported in the last two months resulting in the loss of properties worth over N 30 million naira.

Giving the breakdown, the SEMA boss said in Buji alone, properties worth more than N 25 million were destroyed by fire. Similarly, in the case of GSS Aujara I’m Jahun local government council, properties worth over N 10 million were destroyed while the damages in GSS Kazaure and Birnwa are yet to be quantified.

In the case of GSS Kazaure, the fire outbreak damaged the personal effects of the students such as their boxes and other valuable effects. Incidentally the students are yet to resume from their second term break.

According to him, “Despite our constant enlightenment of people to be extremely cautious especially during this dry season weather, it does appear that they’re yet to be convinced. Besides:, we are also suspecting that the incident is being exercerbated by global warming

“From our investigations so far, we’ve discovered that there are cases of recklessness on the part of the people, that has resulted in the huge loss of resources across the state.
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“For instance, when we went to distribute relief materials to one of the affected communities in Buji local we encountered some youths making borne fires along the road close to some residential houses.”

The SEMA boss identified inadequate vehicles as some of the major challenges facing the agency as it strives to carry out it’s responsibilities. He disclosed that SEMA requires at least three essential vehicles to be able to effectively cover the 27 local government areas across the state.

At moment, he said the agency is forced to hire vehicles to deliver some of its relief materials, a development that hampers it’s operations.

Alh Haruna Mai Riga