Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
Goods worth millions of naira were destroyed overnight by fire at the popular Kuto Market in Abeokuta,Ogun state capital, western Nigeria.
About 20 shops housing items such as plastics, groceries and foodstuffs such as garri,yam flour were destroyed.
Affected traders were inconsolable this morning.
The cause of the fire still remains unknown.
“I received a call around 10:58pm that the market is burning and our shops are among those affected. I left my house at Ilogbo that same time with only singlet and boxer pant and when I got to the market,I became helpless as I cannot doanything to rescue the situation”, said a trader simply named Sola.
“Many people were on ground to assist us,it was a sad experience. The shops belong to Mama Azeez,a.k.a.Omojoyibo. We delivered about 400bags of rice in the shop on Sunday and yesterday again, another 150 bags were delivered in the shop.
“Now,we have lost all the 550 bags of rice. The shops beside us also went to buy goods yesterday for the Xmas festival. Like the plastic seller, she loaded two shops and another woman beside her who is selling pots,stoves and other house utensils has a full stock of market in her shops.
“As I’m speaking with you,three of the shop owners here have been taken to various hospitals over the shock and by now,we don’t know their condition.
“Three trucks of water were here from the fire service station,but they could not stop the fire as it wreaked a lot of havoc”.
The Caretaker Chairman of Abeokuta South local government, Comrade Olusola Ekundayo,who was in the market for on the spot assessment said that investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the incident and see how to assist the traders.
“It happened just last night and we are here today to assess the situation. I can’t say anything about the cause for now, we will investigate the matter and then know the next line of action”, Ekundayo said.
Also speaking with our correspondent, the Iyaloja of Kuto market,Chief Isiwatu Adewuyi expressed shock over the incident and called on the government to assist the victims.
The DPO Ibara Police Command,Moses Aduroja led his men to the market to see things by himself.
The Police took records of the damaged items with pictures of the incident while names of the affected traders were taken.They asked the affected traders to report at the station for further interrogation on the matter.
Meanwhile, Iberekodo market in the Abeokuta North local government area of the state was also yesterday gutted by fire, which destroyed items estimated at about N500,000.