Matawalle Gives ₦20 Million to Victims of Abuja Market Fire
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, on Saturday donated ₦20 million to traders and artisans displaced by a devastating fire at the Pigba Pantaker District Market in the Apo area of Abuja.
Matawalle visited the burnt-out market late Saturday evening, where the inferno destroyed hundreds of makeshift homes, workshops and shops used by welders, metal-scavengers, mechanics, and petty traders. Some 324 residents, mainly artisans and small-scale traders, were left homeless, having lost tools, goods, and personal belongings to the flames.
Inspecting the charred remains of homes and shops, Matawalle listened to firsthand accounts from distraught victims who escaped with only the clothes on their backs. The scenes of twisted metal, ashes and ruined livelihoods moved the minister to make a personal donation aimed at offering immediate relief.
After the assessment, Matawalle described the losses as heartbreaking, saying many victims had lost everything, their homes, their tools, their businesses. The ₦20 million gift, he said, was intended to help them “get back on their feet” while broader federal support was being explored. He also pledged to brief the president about the disaster and seek additional assistance.
The donation was met with cheers and tears from the affected traders, many of whom said the minister’s visit offered hope at a time when they feared they had been forgotten. Some elderly artisans reportedly wept openly, thanking him for the compassion. Market-association leaders urged the government to consider a long-term rebuilding plan to restore livelihoods and prevent future disasters.