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By Ngozi Nwoke
Traders have expressed sadness over a recent fire outbreak at a five-storey building where shoes are sold in Balogun Market, Lagos.
The traders, who lamented that goods worth millions of naira were destroyed in the incident, could not explain the cause of the fire, but feared that the incessant fire attacks could be targeted at markets dominated by people from a certain part of the country.
Ibrahim Farinloye, Lagos territorial coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), confirmed the incident, as well as one body recovered and seven persons who were injured in the inferno.
Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said: “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has attended to the fire outbreak at the famous Balogun Market which involved the topmost floor of a five storey building. The fire is however under control as mitigation is on to limit its spread. Update to follow as the situation.”
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) team, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency responders were present to control the fire and avert further escalation to other areas.
Mr. David Odunjo, a trader, who commended the timely intervention of the state fire service for preventing the escalation of the incident, said: “The fire service team and other safety officers did a great job by quickly answering to our call when we called to report the incident. It is an unfortunate incident. We lost so much in the fire, but we will recover all we lost since we are still alive.”
Mr Paul Nze said: “These arsonists are still attacking us because of the last general election. How is it possible that our market has been attacked by mysterious and unexplainable fire outbreaks only in few months? In January this year, we experienced the same fire incident, this month it has recurred. How is it that is only shops owned by certain people that are always affected? These incidents cannot be mere coincidence. It’s not possible.”
Nze appealed to the state governor and the state police command to quickly investigate the cause of the fire incident and stop the regular destruction of people’s goods.
“Something is behind all these fire outbreaks that we can’t fathom the causes and we urge the state government to do something quickly to avoid further fire outbreaks. Last month it was the Akere auto spare parts market, now it’s the turn of Balogun Market and that section of the market is well dominated by people from a certain part of the country. Just look at the level of tears, losses and hardship this destruction of goods will cause the owners.”
Chimaobi Alozie also stressed that unauthorised persons parading as market union tax collectors, have continued to unlawfully extort money from shop owners which resulted into face-to-face confrontation between both parties prior to the fire outbreak.
“This fire incident is not ordinary. Some group of people are behind it. They carefully plotted this fire to attack us. We have been suppressed and subdued in this market. Everyday, some street boys come here to illegally extort money from us, claiming they are tax force members of the market union. A week before the incident, we challenged them and refused to give them money after we made our findings and discovered that they were not recognised union members.
“It’s unfortunate that the market association committee are not responsive to our complaints. When we reported the unlawful continuous extortion to the committee chairman, he promised to address the issue and call a meeting, but we never heard from the committee until this fire incident happened. We are being subjected to all forms of attacks in this market.”
Chairman of the Caretaker Management Committee, Balogun Market, Chief Anslem Dunu, said: “Investigations are still ongoing”.
The unfortunate fire incident occurred one month after the Akere Auto Spare Parts Market, Apapa, was razed.
