LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Business owners watched their source of livelihood go down in flames in the metropolitan area of Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State.
The fire outbreak occurred on 8 February, 2023, in the metropolis, near JenZufa fueling station, along Roadblock area in Jalingo.
Some of the victims revealed that the fire could have been brought under control if fire service operatives had responded to their call for help.
A victim, Mangara, expressing her grievances , 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 in the inferno.
Chidinma, an eyewitness who cited numerous fire outbreaks that have occurred in the Jalingo metropolis, wondered why the fire service had failed numerous times to respond to fire incidents in the State capital.
The fire service officers who spoke with the press, blamed their alleged inefficiency to the government, insisting that they have been neglected in terms of meeting up with budgetary allocation putting them in a tight situation where ‘’it is impossible for us to respond when an emergency arises’’.