Around midnight fire destroyed goods worth billions of Naira in Maiduguri Monday Market located at the heart of Borno State capital city on Sunday.
Residents living close to the market said the fire started around 1am Sunday morning, adding that some of them who are close to the market could not gain access immediately they got information of the fire, as the market security avoided unwanted persons to take advantage of the situation for looting.
One of the residents whose house is located adjacent to the market said nine of his shops were razed down in addition to his central shop, adding that he, however, managed to pick some items from his warehouse.
The resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said with the magnitude of the fire, it was only an helicopter that could be used for immediate stoppage of the inferno.
Another shop owner and victim of the inferno said he and his neighbours only met their goods in ashes as at the time they arrived the market.
He called on the Borno State government and good spirited individuals to come to the aid of the traders in the market, adding that almost all the sections of the market were razed to ashes.
Meanwhile, there was pandemonium resulting from protest from some youths who were alleging that the fire incident was deliberately masterminded.
The protest forced security agents, who were deployed in their numbers, to the market to fire gunshots and teargas cannisters to disperse the rampaging youths, while numerous people who besieged the market over the fire outbreak scampered for safety.