On Friday, October 23, one of Abuja’s popular shopping
malls, Grand Square, located at the Central Business
District, was razed by fire.
Speaking with journalists, eyewitnesses said that the fire
began at about 12 midnight, but was not put out until
about 11am on Friday morning. However, fire fighters
managed to prevent the fire from engulfing the entire
shopping mall.
Confirming the incident, one of the security men on duty
said that he had been instructed not to let anyone inside
and disclose the details of the inferno to journalists.
“Sorry some journalists have been coming since morning
but the owner of the place told us not to talk to you
people (journalists), but that he will personally address the
press eventually,” he said.
Although the management of the shopping mall was not
willing to comment on the incident, The Nation found out
that property worth millions of naira was destroyed by the
fire and the electronic section was badly affected.
On September 15, fire gutted a shopping plaza in Broad
Street on the Lagos Island area of Lagos State. Textile
materials and fashion accessories estimated at millions of
naira were destroyed in the inferno.