Early morning fire on Monday consumed shops and goods worth millions of Naira at the popular Oba market in Oredo Local Government Area, Benin, in Edo.
The incident happened barely few days the State government ordered traders to return to the market from the different primary schools that served as make shift markets in the last six weeks as part measures to contain the COVID-19.
The fire, said to have started in the early hours of Monday, consumed hundreds of shops with goods worth millions of naira.
Gfhnews reports that no clue yet as to what caused the inferno but mostly affected victims are owners of lock up shops with stocked textile materials and comestics…
The fire was brought under control by the combined efforts of firefighters from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Fire service, Federal Fire service, Edo fire service and the Nigerian Army school of supply and transportation, Benin.
Recounting their losses, One of the traders who sells clothes, Mary Osadolor said she couldn’t salvage any of her wares as her shop was completely burnt.
“They called me around 1: 00am today that Oba market is on fire. Reaching here, we could not find any of our goods. ” she said
She however, appealed to the government and well-meaning Nigerians to provide assistance to her and other victims.
Mrs Janet Akpan , another trader who deals on cosmetics, said she has lost her goods worth millions of Naira.
According to her, immediately they opened the market last week, I decided to go to the market to stock my shops.
“Sadly, I have lost the only thing that I use to feed my family.
“The fire consumed all my wares. I do not have anything in my store with all commodities burnt,” she lamented.
Karebo Samson, Assistant Controller General of the Federal Fire service said he received a distress call from the Chief Security Officer attached to the government house in Benin and quickly mobilised his men to the market.
“I had to call the men at the station and they got here very early . So, when they needed assistance because they exhausted the water they had.
“immediately I called the CSO that we needed assistance from sister fire fighting agencies and he told me he will call the UNIBEN fire service.
“The Army fire service, NNPC and Edo state fire service have also been on ground, and we have been here since past 12 am battling the fire.
“I cannot tell you the cause of the fire, we will send in our investigators possibly today or tomorrow so they can ascertain what actually caused the fire,” he said.
