At least 30 shops at the roadblock area of Jalingo, the Taraba State capital were in the early hours of Saturday gutted by fire.
According to Daily Trust, the actual cause of the fire is unknown.
However, shop owners blamed black marketers for using cooking gas within the area, while some accused welders working within the area of igniting the fire.
ome youths who joined Good Samaritans to put out the fire, however, descended on the men of the fire service for allegedly arriving late at the scene of the incident.
The angry youths chased the firemen away from the scene, a situation which caused more destruction to properties.
Policemen were moblised to the scene to send away the angry youths, while the men of the fire service were brought in to put out the fire.
Owners of the affected shops, while counting their losses, said they lost millions of naira to the incident.
