Wastes have taken over the entrance of the popular Sabon Gari food market in Kano in the middle of a cholera outbreak with 1,579 suspected cases and 54 deaths in Nigeria.
On 23 June 2024, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed that Kano had recorded 13 suspected cases of cholera, partly attributed to poor sanitation.
As of Thursday, the heap of waste had nearly blocked the two-lane road leading in and out of the market, causing traffic gridlock along France Road in the Fagge Local Government Area.
This pollution also affected the free flow of business along the route.
Traders in the vicinity claimed the wastes were conveyed from within the market by scavengers popularly known as mai shara.
Craving anonymity, some businessmen who spoke with Nigeria Info alleged that the market management had ordered the dirt to be evacuated from the market and dropped by the roadside.
Protesting traders said they were told the waste would be evacuated immediately. However, the situation has lingered for over a week, piling up daily.
One of the Drivers of a small truck, Usman Ahmed, whose business was disrupted, said, “The MD of the market made them dump the trash there, which is hindering us from finding our daily bread.”
Another truck driver added, “Honestly, this trash brought out of the market is disturbing everybody in the environment, both the people staying there and passers-by.”
For Bashir Kwashe-kwashe, “This trash is depriving people from earning their daily income comfortably. And this happened as a result of the order given by the market's MD, that the trash should be brought out of the market.
“Immediately it was brought out, we knew this would happen, but we could not do anything about it and it has gotten out of control. Now we want the Governor to please interfere so that this place will be cleared.”
Nigeria Info also observed local food outlets known as Mama Put selling cooked meals directly adjacent to the pollution site, a concerning situation.
The Kano State governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Abubakar Rimi Market, Hon. Musbahu Abdullahi, did not return Nigeria Info’s calls.
He was also not in his office when we went there to ask him about the market refuse dump.
As of the time of this report, several local scavengers kept dumping waste on the illegal dumpsite, blocking the entrance to one of the biggest markets in Nigeria.
