By Ngozi Nwoke

Traders, residents and commuters woke up to a very shocking and disturbing scene last Wednesday, where some suspected thugs razed the Akere Spare Parts Market in the Ajegunle area of Lagos.

It was a devastating moment for the shop owners as no one could fathom the reason behind the alleged burning of their source of their livelihood.

It was recorded that a taxi driver died in the incident, which affected over 90 spare part shops in the market. Some unknown persons allegedly shot sporadically towards the market, killing one person and setting the market on fire.

Ndubuisi Nwajiuba, who has been in business for 15 years, told Daily Sun that an angry mob had burnt down some of the shops two weeks earlier and that two security officers who intervened were shot at.

He said: “My life has crumbled. My whole effort is gone in one night. Just last two weeks some angry mob had come to set the market on fire, burning down a few shops.

“As if they were not satisfied with the one they did last two weeks, they still came here to burn down every shop completely, as you can see, around 3am. They said because the traders all voted for another party during the presidential election and they suspect that the traders will also vote for another party they during the governorship election on Saturday.

“If this is really the reason for the attack on traders, where is the freedom to practice democracy? Don’t we have the right to vote our preferred candidate? I don’t have more to say, but I know that even the Lagos State government and the police will not do anything to find the perpetrators.”

As passersby intermittently trooped in their numbers to witness the sad incident and also sympathise with the motor spare parts traders, another trader who simply identified as Kanayo, chose to speak on the anonymity and expressed that the traders will still vote for the candidate of their choice in subsequent elections.

He lamented: “We are being attacked regularly. Our sources of livelihood are now being targeted.”

Kanayo also confirmed the attack that occurred two weeks earlier in the auto spare parts market and feared for the the lives of the traders in the market. He said: “Two weeks ago, this market was attacked by thugs. They destroyed some shops. But today’s attack clearly shows that they came to finish what they started. I hope that our lives will not become the next target if nothing is done to stop this evil. The whole thing is politically motivated and we begin to wonder what crime we have committed by voting a candidate of our choice. We will still vote for our candidate in the next election because it is our right.”

Denis Nnamdi, a shop owner, also said: “The major cause of the issue is misunderstanding. They don’t se to know that politics is a game of interest. We claim to have democracy but what we see here is impunity and terrorism. They want to oppress and intimidate people.

“Watch and see, this matter will die like others. Nothing will happen. The police and other law enforcement agencies will not raise a finger to find the culprits. They know them. If they claim they don’t know the culprits behind these attacks, they lie.”

Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited the scene of the midnight inferno that destroyed goods worth millions of naira.

The governor, who personally met with victims of the fire incident, conveyed his sympathy and pledged support for the traders in assuaging their loss. He condemned the barbaric action, describing it as “unfortunate”.

He directed the Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, to conduct a full investigation into the incident and fish out the perpetrators and promised assistance in burying the taxi driver who lost his life.

Addressing the traders, the governor assured them that the state government would get to the bottom of the matter, just as he ordered security to be tightened around major markets to forestall similar attacks.

Sanwo-Olu said: “I commiserate with the family of taxi driver who was somewhere close to the market premises but lost his life in the incident. I am also here to share my sympathy with all shop owners who lost means of livelihood in this fire incident. But we don’t want to pass judgment ahead of investigation.

“In strong term, I am directing the Commissioner of Police to immediately launch a full investigation into the cause of this incident. Given the issues we are hearing around, I am also directing the commissioner to tighten security around markets. All vulnerable markets must be protected.

“People must not jump into conclusions as to the motives behind it, because this is an incident that affects everyone around this neighbourhood in one form or the other. We have received the list of all shop owners affected and we will vet the list for compensation to help the victims back on their feet.”

Sanwo-Olu said the state’s emergency response team would remain at the site until the area is cleared of rubbles. He pledged that the state government would collaborate and work with the local council authorities to rebuild the market and return the traders back.

The governor urged residents to continue to promote peaceful coexistence among members of their communities, stressing that his visit to the site was to further reassure victims of Government’s commitment to peace.

He said: “We will help to rebuild the market within a short time and we will personally ensure safety measures are put in place. Our visit is to further reassure all residents of the state that, as long as we are in government, we will continue to promote peaceful coexistence among all communities. I am here to demonstrate that commitment and to personally support the rebuilding efforts.”

Similarly, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, visited shop owners whose properties were burnt. He commiserated with the victims of the fire incident and also donated fifteen million Naira while assuring that the market will be rebuilt to international standard if he is elected into office.

He said: “I am on ground in Akere Market, Ifelodun to assess the damage done by a fire allegedly set by an arsonist and political thugs. This is the most unfortunate. Our politics should be about ideas, not violence. Ajegunle people, do not be intimidated. We will rebuild together.”

Speaking on the incident, the Director, of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said the firefighters promptly contained the ranging fire and prevented it from spreading.

He said: “Upon arrival, it was discovered that rows of shops that traded in auto spare parts were engulfed in fire that led to Sari-Iganmu and Ilupeju fire crews of the agency joining up to subdue the raging fire and salvage a nearby major market petroleum filling Station with a full loaded 33,000 litres PMS tanker among other adjoining buildings.

“However, a male adult was recovered by the Tolu Police Division around the scene and reported death from a gunshot injury as he did not suffer any traces of burnt while the Lagos Neighborhood and Safety Corps and the Red Cross were also in attendance.

“The cause of the fire is suspicious and will require detailed investigation to ascertain as well as post-incident enumeration to account for the number of lockup shops and wares lost.”

In the same vein, the Lagos State Police Command has also commenced investigation into the early morning fire. The Lagos State Police Command, Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin  reported said that a 65-year-old security guard lost his life in the incident.

He disclosed that CP Idowu Owohunwa urges Lagosians to remain calm as the state criminal Investigation Department has been directed to take over investigation towards unravelling the true circumstances surrounding the suspected arson.

Hundeyin said the CP equally calls for restraint in giving any form of extraneous coloration to the incident, while assuring that the outcome of the investigation will be made public.