Kogi GSM Village Destroyed By Blaze, Millions In Losses

Kogi GSM Village Destroyed By Blaze, Millions In Losses

Properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed following a devastating fire at the GSM village near Kpata market in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday, was reportedly triggered by a power surge.

According to reports gathered by DAILY POST, the blaze quickly spread, leaving shop owners unable to salvage any of their goods.

Muhammed Yahaya, a trader affected by the fire, described the incident: “I received a call around 5:30 a.m. informing me that the market was on fire. By the time I arrived, many shops had already been destroyed. The initial assessment suggests that a high power voltage might have caused the fire, as neighboring houses reported issues with their electrical appliances.”

Yahaya continued, “Millions of naira worth of goods, including laptops, phones, and accessories, were burned. Many of us had just received new stock this week. This is unprecedented and a huge shock to all shop owners.”

He has appealed to the Kogi State Government for financial assistance and support in rebuilding the GSM village. “Our Governor is known for his compassion and listening ear. We are young, resourceful, and many of us are graduates who created our own jobs. The market, which took over 15 years to build, was destroyed in less than an hour. We hope the government can help us recover and rebuild,” Yahaya added.

Moses Felix, Financial Secretary of the Kogi Association of Phones and Accessories Dealers (KAPAD), expressed the emotional toll the fire has taken on him. “I was devastated when my shop burned down. As someone who deals in laptop repairs and sales, all my recent stock was lost. I’m starting from scratch, and with a family to support, I’m deeply concerned about our future. We need government intervention urgently.”