Tears as Lagos plank sellers lose billions to fire

Distraught Traders at the Ifelodun Plank Market in Ketu area of Lagos State have put the value of properties and wares destroyed in the Thursday night fire at billions of naira.
According to them, about 500 shops, a mosque and two churches were burnt in the inferno. But they have also expressed fears that the incident may have been as a result of sabotage.
Speaking with the Saturday Tribune hours after firemen battled to put out the fire, the traders, wearing gloomy faces and discussing the sad development in groups, said they suspected foul play, alleging that the latest development might be an avenue to force them out.
Alhaji Aliu Bello, Chairman of plank sellers at the market, also said the cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained. He, however, said that it was being widely speculated that the fire may have started from sparks from an electrical surge in the public power supply at the market.
He said: “There was a fire outbreak at the Ifelodun Plank Market on Thursday. Most of us had earlier left the market at about 8 p.m. but around 9 p.m., I was called at home and told that fire had gutted the entire market.
“And by the time I arrived here, men of the fire services were all around trying to contain the fire, but it appeared to be beyond their control. No life was lost in the incident, but some of the fire fighters were injured and are presently undergoing treatment.”
Debunking claims that a resident of one of the affected buildings died while attempting to jump down from a two-storey building where he lived, an official of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), who also pleaded for anonymity, stated that no life was lost in the incident.
Another trader, who identified herself as Kemi Hassan, described the incident as one of the saddest events in her life.
“As I am talking to you, I have lost everything I have ever worked for. I had a shop full of shoes and other household items. I also had some machines and equipment which I was using to make money for myself, but everything has been destroyed by the fire,” she lamented.
She also indicated that though she didn’t have any money locked up in her shop, it was a common practice for traders to temporary keep their money in their shops at the market; therefore many of them must have lost cash in the inferno.
“Many traders, apart from losing their wares, must have also lost cash, because here, it is a common practice for money to be temporarily kept in shops. I had even done this countless times. I know of someone who kept over N600,000 in her shop, but sadly, everything was razed,” she added.
Mr Fakeye Bukola, a victim, said he lost over N1.5 million worth of planks and building materials to the fire.
“I borrowed money from the bank to buy the goods. Just how do I pay back the loan? Where do I start from?” He lamented.
Another victim, Mrs Bisola Yusuf, said she lost all her goods to the fire.
“I was unable to retrieve anything from my shop. I plead with the Lagos State government to come to our aid and assist us to get back to business,” she said.
Alhaja Kafayat Khalid, also a victim, said she lost goods worth N2 million. She said she was yet to recover from a previous fire incident at the market in 2010.
Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Information Officer (South-West zone), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said that officials of the agency were immediately deployed to the site on Thursday to contain the fire.
Farinloye advised Nigerians to be cautious in handling fire incidents, saying that most of the rescue activities should be left to fire fighters.
According to information gathered by Saturday Tribune, the fire started around 9pm on Thursday when many of the traders had already closed for the day. The affected market, located at Demurin area of Ketu, was mainly a building material market, where items such as planks, locks, glass, roofing sheets, asbestos and other items were sold.
When Saturday Tribune visited the market Friday morning, various sections were still smouldering. Scavengers were also seen with their various tools attempting to dig out ‘treasures’. Apart from shops, some residential buildings located close to the market were also affected, while a church was partially burnt.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State government has commenced investigations to ascertain the actual cause of the fire, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed said.
Ahmed told reporters at the market that fire fighters responded promptly to the incident and were able to prevent the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings.
“But we are still in the immediate phase, where we try to ensure that there is no secondary damage to lives and property in the area,” he said.
The commissioner added that ongoing rescue efforts were on to cordon off the area and to prevent people from coming too close to the market and endangering their lives.
Alhaji AbdulRofeeu Babajide, President, Plank and Building Materials Association, however, said he would not speculate on the cause of the fire.
“I can’t speak on speculations. I can not say much on what has happened now until I meet with the executive members of the state chapter of our association,” he said.
Saturday Tribune was told that the Thursday night fire occurred barely five hours after many of the traders replenished their stock, which some of them did on credit.
Some of the traders who spoke to the Saturday Tribune also blamed the inability of fire fighters to gain early access into the market for the huge loss they incurred.
They appealed to the state government to come to their aid and compensate them for the losses.
Alao Mukaila, a carpenter and a trader at the market, described the incident as irreparable, saying that many of the traders would have to go and “start afresh.”
Mukaila, who is also a leader in the market association, stated that the traders were as of Friday afternoon still distraught to estimate the total loss of the burnt market.
Muhammed Abdulateef, who was injured in the fire incident, told Saturday Tribune that sympathisers had to scoop water from a nearby canal to put out the fire when fire fighters could not gain entry into the market.
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