Akeem Oguntayo
6 November 2009
Benin — Traders at the popular Agbado market in Benin, Edo state capital, woke up and discovered that their wares with millions of naira have been gutted by fire.
The Agbado market which is the home of house and cooking utensils in Benin, was gutted by fire in the early hours of yesterday with the entire market razed to ashes. The market is one of the oldest in Edo state .
The cost of burnt items is put at hundreds of millions of naira by the traders. The market deals mainly on electric cookers, gas, stoves, microwave and other cooking and kitchen items.
According to the traders, the fire started at about 12.30 am before it spread throughout the entire market in spite of efforts made by sympathizers, security men, and fire fighters from the state fire service, and the National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
They further disclosed that the fire was escalated by gas cylinders in the gas section of the market as the cylinders were said to have exploded intermittently, which seriously prevented the fire fighters from gaining access to the market, according to Saturday Champion source.
One of the traders, Mrs. Angela Igbinovia put the total cost of goods lost to the fire at #500million.
Another trader who was in tears, said the business is the main source of living for the family, which they have lost to the inferno.
The state deputy governor, Pius Odubu, who paid a visit to the market early, yesterday, promised that the state government would set up a commission of enquiry to look at the causes of the fire and advise government on necessary action to take, noting that government would compensate all those affected.
He also commended the people for the efforts they put to assist the fire fighters.
But some of the victims called for relocation of gas cylinder and gas sellers to a separate market as they said the fire could have been curtailed if the cooking gas and cylinders were not in the market.
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