Amukoko traders count losses in sawmill fire

SOME traders in Amukoko,  Lagos, are counting their losses after fire destroyed their wares at the sawmill market on Wednesday.

Goods worth millions of naira were lost to the inferno.

Destroyed were over 100 shops, plywood, building and tailoring materials, foods and drinks.

Traders blamed the incident on electric explosion.

According to them, the fire began immediately after power outage around 2am following the explosion.

None of the traders salvaged anything from their shops.

Around noon, Lagos State firefighters were still battling to quench the inferno.

The market leader, Mrs Ramota Jimoh, said the incident happened at midnight.

She said: “We do not know the cause, I learnt it began as they took the light, some said they threw electricity generating set into our compound and it led to the fire, but if it was the set, we should see the parts now that the fire has been quenched.”

“Several firemen were at the scene, they came here on time, but it is unfortunate that the fire razed everything here.”

Mrs Jimoh went on: “We sell many things in this market, including building materials, different kinds of wood and all you will need to build a house.

There are also many shops here and so many people have lost their goods due to this fire, they are many and I cannot quantify them.

“We were still here playing on Tuesday and I could never have thought that this would happen,” she said.

A building materials dealer, Jamiu Ajagbe, said he was not around when the  fire started.

Ajagbe said: “I was called around 2am that the market was on fire, where I live is far away, so I could not have come here at that time of the night.

“It is unfortunate that the fire had burnt everything in this market beyond recognition. There are many shops here, they would be more than 100, and well over 100 people were rendered jobless here today. We have people here doing hand work, like tailoring, business centre, electricians, studio operators, traders in electrical appliances and all forms of traders.

We sell different kinds of planks here. We have lost millions of naira; I am sure what is lost here is worth over N10 million.

“Government can help us in different ways, either in terms of rebuilding this market or be of assistance to the traders and give us soft loans to come back to our business. We have all lost our means of livelihood. They should help us in any way they can. Our market is registered and we pay tax.”

The post Amukoko traders count losses in sawmill fire appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.