The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has asked shop owners and traders to be cautious during the harmattan season. 

Mrs Farouq gave this warning while expressing sympathy over Sunday’s fire incident at the Next Cash and Carry Supermarket in Abuja, during which goods and property worth billions of Naira were lost.

Speaking through her Special Assistant on Media, Nneka Anibeze on Monday in Abuja, the minister described the incident as a “sad occurrence happening on a day of celebration.”

According to her, “It is most unfortunate for those who lost their goods and livelihood at this critical time. This is the harmattan season and prone to a lot of sparks and fire disasters.

“We urge shop owners, traders and market dwellers to be more vigilant and to endeavour to switch off all appliances before leaving their shops and markets.

“The fire at Next Cash and Carry is very unfortunate and we pray that this does not happen again,’’ she was also quoted as saying.

The fire at the shopping complex was reported to have been caused by electrical malfunctions.

(NAN)