Traders at the Caring Heart Market in Okitipupa, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State have appealed to Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa over a fire incident which razed their shops and goods worth over ₦50 million.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the cause of the midnight fire which started in one of the shops and affected 18 on Thursday was still sketchy on Friday.
Some traders who spoke with NAN in separate interviews on Friday at the market said that they had lost almost everything they had. They said their losses include cash, deep freezers, generators, stabilisers, fans, umbrellas and frozen foods.
Mrs Faye Morayo, a frozen foods seller, said she just stocked her shop with fish, turkey and other items to meet demands during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
She said that she lost items worth over ₦3 million including three big deep freezers, two big generators, two big stabilisers and nylon worth ₦25,000 in the incident.
“I borrowed money to stock my shop for the festivities, now everything is gone, I plead with Aiyedatiwa to come to our aid financially, as we have nothing left,” she said.
Princess Bosede Enufo, who said she was a widow with six children, said she was heartbroken and devastated, as she did not know the next thing to do. She lamented losing over ₦7 million to the fire, being the cost of big deep freezers, generators, stabilisers, big umbrellas, sales nylon, stock of fish and turkey.
“I appeal to Aiyedatiwa to assist all victims of the incident, praying that God Almighty will be with him and his family too,” Enufo added.
Another victim, Modupe Akimtimiwa, bemoaned the loss of over ₦3millon worth of goods. She appealed to the governor to assist all victims with money and help in renovating the burnt shops, as their necks were deep in loans that they had to repay.
Chief Florence Irinyemi, the Iyalaje of Idepe-Okitpupa, told NAN that the security guard at the market raised the alarm of the fire incident around 1:00 am on Thursday. She urged the state government to restore the comatose Okitipupa Fire Service to be able to respond swiftly and reduce damage caused by such incidents.
“We thank our royal father, Oba Michael Adetoye-Obatuga, the Jegun of Idepe Okitipupa who acted swiftly immediately after I called him, as he called the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to switch off electricity, else the whole market would have been razed.
“Many of these market women have lost almost everything they have, we appeal to the state government to assist them financially and rebuild the burnt shops,” she said.