22nd January, 2023
By Jethro Ibileke
A mid-day fire that razed a building inside Lagos Market, in Benin, Edo state, has destroyed goods worth millions of naira.
Lagos Market is located along Lagos Street, close to the Oba Market, Ring Road.
The one-storey building housing many lockup shops allegedly belongs to a woman popularly known as Madam Lagos.
It was gathered that the fire started around 11 am.
Recall that a similar incident occurred a few months ago when fire razed goods worth millions of naira in the same Lagos Street market.
Recounting her ordeal, one of the shop owners, Mrs Chioma Kelvin, said she was at the church when she was called to inform her that her shop was on fire.
She said before she could get to her jewelry shop, the fire has already razed everything.
“I don’t know the time the fire started because I was in the church when they called to inform me that my shop was on fire.
“Today being Saturday, I don’t usually open my shop. I Lost almost hundred and something million naira to the fire because I deal on jewelries,” she said in tears.
Mrs Kelvin called on the state government and kind-hearted Nigerians to come to her aid.
“I want the government and all Nigerians to come to my rescue,” she added.
One of the sympathizers, Obina Obi, blamed the the State Fire Service for for failing to respond promptly when they were called.
He added that if they had come on time, they would have been able to salvage the situation.
“We called the fire service they didn’t pick their calls. The fire started very little, had it been that the fire fighters came on time, they would have been able to save the situation,” he alleged.