A major fire outbreak on Monday gutted several shops and vehicles at the popular Sokoto Mechanic Village, widely known as Buzaye Garage.
The inferno, which reportedly started around 10 a.m., was said to have been triggered by an electrical fault.
The mechanic village serves motorists from Sokoto State and neighboring Niger Republic.
Efforts by the Federal Fire Service, Sokoto State Fire Service, and members of the local community to contain the blaze were overwhelmed as the fire raged for several hours.
The fire reportedly consumed a section of the village dedicated to Mercedes-Benz repairs, along with several spare parts shops. Many of the destroyed vehicles were said to belong to customers from within Sokoto and neighboring Niger Republic.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Buzaye Unit, Engr. Abdulkadir Muhammad, said many mechanics lost not only their workshops but also vehicles entrusted to them by customers.
“It is too early to ascertain the exact number of shops and vehicles destroyed because the fire is still burning. We can only determine the extent of the damage after it has been completely quenched,” he said.
Engr. Muhammad attributed the scale of the damage to the presence of inflammable materials and gas cylinders used for welding within the village, which may have intensified the fire.
He appealed to the Sokoto State Government to assist affected members, noting that the last time the association received government support after a similar incident was over a decade ago during the administration of former Governor Aliyu Wamakko.
