Traders of Kwara market fire say over N100m lost

Victims of last week’s fire incident in the Oja Tuntun Market in Ilọrin West LGA of Kwara State in which 15 shops were affected have recounted their ordeal, calling on the government to come to their aid. A clothes seller, Mrs Ada Nwangwo, who disclosed that she lost property worth over N15m, said, “I want […]

Victims of last week’s fire incident in the Oja Tuntun Market in Ilọrin West LGA of Kwara State in which 15 shops were affected have recounted their ordeal, calling on the government to come to their aid.

A clothes seller, Mrs Ada Nwangwo, who disclosed that she lost property worth over N15m, said, “I want the government to come to my aid. I borrowed the money for my business. I just offloaded my goods from Lagos.”

Another victim, Mrs Doris Chukwudi, said, “I had four shops filled with goods worth N20m; all of which got burnt. I just restocked in preparation for Christmas.”

On her part, Helen Akachukwu said she lost goods worth about N500,000.

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Another trader, Chinyere Henry, said, “I just offloaded N10m worth of goods; all gone.”

Abdulfatai Nafisat, a fashion designer, said she lost her big weaving and four sewing machines, customers’ clothes and a generator.

Wasilat Aliyu and Rebecca Samuel, both raw food sellers, said they lost all their goods worth millions of naira.

The Kwara State Chairman of the Igbo Traders Association, Pastor Uche Goodwill, described the development as terrible.

He said, “We have met with the victims and calculated goods lost at over N100m. We want the government to come to our aid.”