Goods worth millions of naira were destroyed by fire on Wednesday in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State.
The fire outbreak occurred in the metropolis, near JenZufa filling station, along Roadblock.
A few of the victims whose shops were affected told newscorrespondent the fire could have been brought under control if fire service officers had responded to their call for help.
A victim, Mangara, who spoke said: “Walahia, I don’t see the importance of firefighters in this state. Despite sending messages to them, we are yet to see any one of them here.”
Another victim with tears streaming down his eyes said his shop, which contained mobile phones’ accessories worth millions of naira, was consumed by the flame.
Chidinma, an eyewitness who cited numerous fire outbreak that has occurred in the Jalingo metropolis, wondered why the fire service had failed numerous times to respond to fire incidents in Jalingo.
Some fire service officers who spoke anonymously at their office blamed their alleged inefficiency on the government, alleging that they have been denied their budgetary allocations and monthly imprest, thereby putting them in a situation where “it impossible for us to respond when an emergency arises.”
