Nigeria Content Online

The collective loss
of victims in last month’s Kantin Kwari market fire disaster is N1.65
billion and not the initial estimate of N6 billion, a committee
established by the government to investigate the incident has said.

Ibrahim Garba,
chairman of the committee, said this when he submitted its interim
report to the state governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, at the government
house, Kano on Thursday.

Mr. Garba, who is
also the state commissioner for project monitoring, said the committee
arrived at the amount having thoroughly assessed the incident through a
sub-committee of experts and other stakeholders.

He confirmed that
205 shops were razed, while 861 people incurred losses as a result of
the inferno as against the 1,213 earlier speculated.

“Seven houses
(complexes) and a mosque were burnt as a result of the incident, while
N122.3 million is needed to renovate the damaged structures,” he said.

The state official
also said the committee has so far collected over N200 million in cash
and pledges from individuals as donations, with the highest donation of
N100 million from Aminu Dantata.

Mr. Shekarau
thanked the committee for the perseverance and diligence of its
members, pointing out that the steps taken to pacify the victims are
also commendable.

He said the state government would carefully look through the committee’s and implement its recommendations.