Fire Destroys Restaurant in Borno State, Eyewitnesses Narrate Experience
- A fire on Sunday gutted Kayat Restaurant on Polo Road in Maiduguri, leaving part of the building destroyed
- Emergency teams from the Borno State Fire Service and police quickly moved in to contain the blaze
- Witnesses said the cause of the fire remained unclear, though rescue efforts were still underway
A fire on Sunday, November 16 gutted a significant part of Kayat restaurant located on Polo Road in Maiduguri, Borno state.
Eyewitnesses reported that the blaze started around 11 a.m. but was quickly brought under control by the Borno State Fire Service with support from the police.
Source: Twitter
The Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, confirmed that rescue operations were ongoing at the scene. He said, “Our team from the GRA police station is currently there, providing assistance to the Fire Service.”
Residents near the restaurant described how the area was cordoned off as emergency teams worked to contain the flames.
Umar Abdullahi, an eyewitness, said,
“I just passed there now. A significant part of the place was still catching fire. However, there were fire service people there trying to douse the fire.”
Another witness, Martina Joseph, explained that bystanders were kept at a safe distance while the fire service managed the situation.
She said,
“The situation was professionally handled, they quickly controlled the movement of cars and people. From what I saw, only the building and maybe some materials caught fire.”
Cause of fire remains unknown
Authorities stated that the cause of the fire had not yet been determined. Attempts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service in Borno, Fati Fali Murtala, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
This incident followed a similar fire outbreak in March, when PUNCH Online reported that an electronics shop at Monday Market in Maiduguri was destroyed, resulting in losses worth millions of naira. At that time, the Borno State Police had dispatched officers to secure the area and prevent theft during the emergency.
Source: Twitter
About Borno state
Borno state, created in February 1976, is the second largest state in Nigeria by land area, covering about 70,898 square kilometres. Its capital, Maiduguri, is the political and economic hub.
The state borders Niger, Chad and Cameroon, making it the only Nigerian state with international boundaries to three countries.
Historically, it was part of the Kanem-Bornu Empire, with the Kanuri people as the dominant ethnic group. Nicknamed the “Home of Peace,” Borno has faced challenges from insurgency but remains central to trade, agriculture and cultural heritage in the region.
Fire guts popular store at Jabi Lake Mall
Legit.ng earlier reported that a major fire outbreak occurred at the Adidas Store in Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The fire incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, October 30, 2025, and lasted for over six hours.
The FFS public relations officer, DCF P. O. Abraham, said the fire was brought under control through the combined efforts of the Julius Berger Fire Service.
Abraham made this known in a statement issued via social media.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
