Contrary to social media reports, there was no looting at Next Cash and Carry Supermarket located in the Jahi area, Abuja, which was engulfed by fire on Sunday.
Alhaji Abbas Idriss, Director-General of FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), stated this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.
Amid the massive fire outbreak at the popular supermarket located along Ahmadu Bello way, Kado-Kuchi area of Jahi- Kado expressway, some videos surfaced online suggesting that some residents were carting away some items.
Next cash and carry is burning and guess what Nigerians are doing?
Looting.
God forbid this kind country pic.twitter.com/1kyEM1Iqtm
— $Hydra 🏳️🌈 (@TheBriDen) December 26, 2021
However, Idriss in an update said;
Immediately the agency got to the scene of the incident, security operatives cordoned the area and fire fighting began. There was no looting whatsoever as speculated by some people on social media.
He added;
What we saw on social media was a staff of Next Cash and Carry trying to salvage goods using trolleys. Nothing was taken out of the premises by looters.
Idriss commended all responders, security agencies and the media for their prompt response to the fire incident.
He said immediately, FEMA received the distress call on the fire incident, it activated all responders, including the FCT police Command and the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service.
Idriss expressed;
Others are the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the National Emergency Management Agency, the armed forces, Julius Berger, the NNPC, and other private corporate entities.
He further stated that the rescue effort was well coordinated, leading to the containment of the fire and reaffirmed that no life was lost during the fire incident, neither was anyone injured.
Idriss appealed to business owners to factor in risk element in their business plans, noting that fire engines did not get free access within the shopping mall while the fire raged.
Watch some videos showing where the salvaged goods were kept below;
Stop spreading false rumour !
The guys at Next Cash and Carry who helped salvage some goods from burning up are the real MVPs …… we still have hope for Nigeria.
This is not South Africa pic.twitter.com/PUnbZ5OEYr
— 🕊THE TUMESCENT LABIA MAJORA🕊 (@LabiaMinoria) December 26, 2021
Contrary to the widespread misinformation of ‘looting’ at the NEXT Cash And Carry Supermarket Abuja unfortunate fire outbreak, some eye witnesses & official report from the FCT Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh claimed that.. https://t.co/LzVcpghVvK pic.twitter.com/PDYT1CrSiD
— Gbemi Dennis™ (@GbemiDennis) December 26, 2021
