Millions lost to rice mill inferno in Benue

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Property worth millions of naira were on Sunday razed by fire at the popular rice mill market at Wurukum by the North Bank bridge in Makurdi, Benue State capital.

The inferno, it was gathered happened at about 10pm, before men of the state fire service swiftly intervened to put out the fire preventing it from spreading to other shops.

The traders ruled out the possibility of electricity as the main cause of the fire incident, stating that their shops are not connected to public power supply.

Chairman, Wurukum Rice Mill market, Terva Igyar, said two shops were burnt, including a motorcycle, six milling machines, bags of rice and other items.

He said he is in touch with the Makurdi local government chairman and the other stakeholders who are assessing the situation.

He however said they will carry out an assessment of the burnt shops in order to know how much was destroyed to enable  Governor, Hyacinth Alia, support them

One of the affected shop owners, Mrs Hanmaikyur Mercy narrated that, she started in December 2023 with about ten million naira now lost to the fire and wondered how she could start over again with the current economic situation.

Mrs Mercy appealed to the state Governor. Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to assist her bounce back, saying that she lost three machines,  de-stoning machines, polishing and others  including several bags of rice.