Follow Us on Google
Adewale Sanyaolu and Chinelo Obogo
Efforts of the Lagos State Government to bring more SMEs into the tax net suffered huge setback yesterday as over 100 shops were raised in an explosion in the Abule Ado Area of Lagos.
The explosion according to an eye witness, who identified himself as Chukwuemeka Ogbonnaya, started around 9.30am.
The over 100 shops located on Omoonile road were ravaged to its foundation with no item left on site.
The shops according to a resident trade in building materials such as cement, iron rods, and grocery stores.
Some of the shop owners who gathered in clusters were seen lamenting their fate and the huge loses suffered by them.
He said most of the shops were built together with houses, which have now been reduced to ruins.
Also affected are block moulding business who occupied road setbacks are equally affected in the explosion.
According to a shop owner dealing in grocery and soft drinks, who identified herself as Oyerinde Florence, she said the explosion occured to her as a huge.
She said her goods worth over N300,000 was lost to the explosion.
She lamented that she only recently got a loan from Lapo Microfinance V
Bank to boost her trade.
‘’ I am calling on the Lagos State Government to come to my aid in order to enable me return to business as soon as possible as i am now at cross roads on how ro repay the loan. I hope the Bank will get to read thisin order to know my plight ‘’ she said.
When Daily Sun visited the scene of the incident, some of the shop owners who were still lucky to salvage some of their wares were seen making frantic effort to salvage some of their goods.
Another trader who spoke to Daily Sun at the scene of the incident, Mr.KamalI brahim, said the explosion coukd not have been pipeline related but believed it was a bomb explosion. He said he was unable to salvage any of his iron rods as they have been burnt beyond recognition.
He ssid he only got fresh stock of goods worth over five million naira last week.
Meanwhile, while businesses are counting losses, Okada operators are making brisk business from the unfortunate incident.
A short trip from Abule Ado Junction to anywhere on Omo Onile road which cost about N50 have been jerked up to N100.
Some of the Okada operators who spoke to za Daily Sun said it was an opportunity to them to make brisk business since it is not a daily occurence.
