Traders lament huge losses in Ekiti market fire, appeal for govt assistance

There will be no new year felicitations for about 16 traders at the Bisi market, Ado Ekiti, whose shops and goods were gutted by fire on Tuesday. The traders lost materials, including household appliances, clothing materials, beverages, foodstuffs, educational materials and personal effects worth millions of naira to the disaster. Most of the traders were […]

There will be no new year felicitations for about 16 traders at the Bisi market, Ado Ekiti, whose shops and goods were gutted by fire on Tuesday.

The traders lost materials, including household appliances, clothing materials, beverages, foodstuffs, educational materials and personal effects worth millions of naira to the disaster.

Most of the traders were understood to have recently stocked their shops with goods for sale in the New Year period with loans obtained from cooperative bodies.

It was also gathered that besides goods, some of the traders lost cash to the fire.

EKO TRUST learnt that the fire was caused by a trader attempting to refill his generating set with petrol. As the petrol-containing jerry can in his hand caught fire, our correspondent gathered, the trader threw it away to the other side, which resulted in the spread of the fire to neighbouring shops and houses.

The affected traders have appealed to the state and relevant local governments to assist them bounce back to their businesses.

Mrs Olubunmi Ilugbusi, who is in her 50s, listed what she lost to the fire as including three grinding machines, three big stabilizers, a sewing machine, big wardrobes fully loaded with clothing materials and big coolers.

Ilugbusi stated that she also lost N85,000 cash to the fire.

The trader’s first son, Pastor Adeleye Oluwaniyi, begging the state government to assist her get back on her feet, said the only clothe her mother possessed was the one on her.

Another trader, Mrs Rali Jimoh, said she lost about N150,000 cash to the fire, as well as a grinding machine and about 12 mortars.

A dealer in ladies wears and clothing materials, Mrs Bello Sherifat, also said she lost goods and cash worth N2.5 million.

Other traders included Adegbite Aina, who claimed to have lost items worth about N150,000, which she said were just brought to her shop for sale, and about N100,000 cash; Adedayo Ogunmola, a dealer in clothing materials, who claimed to have lost about N3m; Mr Taiwo Adelere, dealer in fairly used clothes, bags and boxes, who said he lost goods worth N7m; Ayuba Sherifat, dealer in turbans and necklaces, who claimed to have lost N700,000; 25-year-old Olorunshomo Tosin, dealer in sugar and groundnut oil, who claimed to have lost about N43,500; and Mrs Olisa Omowumi, dealer in shoes and English dresses, who claimed to have lost about N200,000.

Others were Alhaja Amudat Jinadu, dealer in Ankara materials, who claimed to have lost N450,000;  Alhaja Sakinat Jimoh, dealer in tomatoes and pepper, who claimed to have lost her new consignments of five bags of pepper and four bags of tomatoes worth about N150,000; and Mrs Bimbo Adeolu, dealer in wines and spirits, who claimed to have lost about N120,000 worth of goods.

Some residents of nearby buildings affected by the fire also lost cash, items and documents.

Among those who lost their documents are Adelere Oluwafemi, who EKO TRUST learnt just got admission into the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; and Adelere Deji, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti.

Victims of the fire incident were understood to have submitted pictures/evidence to the State Emergency Management Agency, Ado-Ekiti, to press their claims for government assistance.

The Bisi Market was established in 1992 when the incumbent deputy governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, was the chairman of the Ado-Ekiti local government in the old Ondo State.