The Minister of State for Defence and former Governor of Zamfara State, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, on Saturday 29 November 2025, visited Zamfara Indigenous traders who lost their shops in the recent fire at the Panteka Market in Apo, Abuja.
The visit was confirmed in a statement by Ahmad Dan-Wudil, the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media on Saturday. The fire outbreak has burned down more than 400 shops, several rooms for the traders and millions of properties were destroyed in the late-night inferno.
The Chairman of Zamfara Indigenous marketers of the Panteka Market, Umar Sahabi Kaura-Namoda, described the visit as unprecedented, noting that no Zamfara government official had previously visited the traders in such difficult times.
According to him, “Over the past twenty years, Zamfara has had different leaders, but we have never witnessed this kind of compassion. No leader or senior official has come to comfort us. We are grateful for the Minister’s visit.”
Addressing the traders, Matawalle expressed sympathy over their losses and prayed for divine protection against future disasters.
He later donated the sum of ₦20 million to support victims of the fire and ease their immediate hardship.