Traders count losses as fire razes Olaleye market
Traders at the popular Olaleye market in Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State are still counting their losses following the fierce fire at the early hours of Saturday, May 30, 2020. Although no life was lost, the fire destroyed goods and other properties worth millions of naira. The few shops that were spared by the fire were burgled by miscreants.
Following the relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown, the traders also started business, but their joy did not last long as a result of the fire incident, which they described as mysterious because its source is not known.
It was gathered that officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, LASEMA Response Fire and Rescue Unit (LRU Fire) and the Federal Fire Service battled to put off the fire and prevented it from spreading to residential buildings.
Our correspondent who visited the market on Thursday saw some of the affected victims clearing the rubbles while few of them were seen trying to set up temporary kiosks outside the market.
Narrating how the incident occurred, Olaoye Mutiu Bukola, a printer, alleged connivance between the market committee and the police, saying, they chased those sleeping near the market away shortly before the fire started. Our correspondent, however, gathered that the relationship between the traders and leadership of the market was not encouraging.
Bukola said, “Those people have been sleeping in front of the market for long, but on this faithful day, the police came about 11pm to send them away, while the fire began few hours later.
“When government issued a directive that people should stop sleeping in the market, we stopped working overnight, but few slept outside the market. These were the people the police came to harass and send away. That is why we are suspecting that the committee and police may have conspired to set the market ablaze. Why is it that the market was gutted by fire the same night they came to chase people away?’’
He also alleged that during the fire incident, there was oil on the ground around the market, a situation that made it difficult for those who wanted to help to gain access into the market.
“People who wanted to help were falling down from the gate, so we believe it was a pre-meditated action. Again, the incident cannot be traced electrical fault because there was no power supply to the market and the entire community that day, as it had earlier been disconnected by electricity workers That is why we are accusing the committee and the police,” he alleged.
It was gathered that there was an attempt by the past government to demolish the market and redevelop it, but after pleas from different quarters, it was put on hold.
One of the victims of the incident, a tailor, Akinsola Muniru, could not hold his tears as he said he lost four sewing and designing machines, generator and cloths belonging to customers.
“I was eager to finish customers’ cloths so I could get money to cater for my family, only for the fire to consume everything that took me years to gather. I am in deep sorrow now because I don’t know where and how to start.
“I have two children and my wife is pregnant. In spite of her condition, she works as an assistant in a restaurant in the market, all in a bid to make ends meet. Unfortunately, the shop where she works was also affected by the fire, while I lost everything I have in my life. How will I feed my family?” He asked, weeping.
Rafiu Sadiku, a printer, also said he lost his source of livelihood, including school jobs he ought to have delivered if not for the closure of schools occasioned by lockdown due to coronavirus.
“I lost my machine, generator, other equipment and already concluded jobs. I am a father of five. I also have my aged parents to take care of, but now, I am left with nothing,” he lamented and appealed to the state government to have mercy on them.
Mrs Bilesanmi Titilayo, who sold shoes and drinks in the market, also narrated, “I received a call about 2am that there was fire in the market. When I got there, I was able to rescue only very few goods. I lost majority of my goods in my shop. I am a divorcee and have children to cater for. Government should please come to our aid,” she pleaded.
Furthermore, Hajiya Fatima Suleiman Olorire, who has been selling herbs in the market since the days of Awolowo and Akintola, said, “My children in London and America all sent money to me to stock my shops so that I would not be idle or find it difficult to feed; but now, everything has gone.
“I saw some people moving around the market area the evening before the fire incident. I was worried because I didn’t know why they were doing that, only for me to hear that the market had been gutted by fire in the middle of the night. If the whole essence of the fire was to chase us out of the market, they should have simply brought a bulldozer and ask everyone to vacate the market. We did not have the opportunity to rescue our things. It is really sad,” she said.
Another elderly woman, who was obviously in her 60s, Isiwatu Gbotiye Ladipo, who sells fish and drinks, lost three shops to the inferno. Narrating her ordeal, she said, “I used one of the shops to sell herbs, put a bed, chairs and television for those who want to sit and drink, while I relaxed in bed once in a while when I was tired. I use the third one as store. In fact, I just stocked the shops with goods and kept the remaining money in one of the shops, but I lost everything to the fire.
“I ran towards the market during the incident, but I was barred from going there. What am I going to sell now? I have become a beggar as people now give me food to eat. I don’t have any thing again.’’
Sikiru Samari, a printer who lost all his equipment and yet-to-bedelivered jobs said amidst tears, “Majority of us in the market are youths, but we have always had issues with members of the market committee who do want youths to occupy most of the shops. We pay our rents, pay for security and even tax. We are young and don’t want to be involved in hooliganism; that is why we decided to engage in productive activities. Now, we have lost everything. I didn’t come out with a pin from my shop.”
Narrating her ordeal, Mrs. Tolani Ogunbiyi, who said she lost two shops and all her goods, alleged that before the fire incident, members of the market committee had all gone to rent shops outside the market to continue their businesses. “If they do not know about the fire, how come their shops were not affected and they had all gone to make alternative arrangements?” She asked and appealed to government to come to her aid.
A member of the market committee, Alhaji Yahaya, said he did not know how the fire started.
“I received a call about 1.30am. There was no call from the Iyaloja, who is the head of the committee, to alert us about the fire. Even after the incident, members of the committee were not called for a meeting to discuss the way forward,’’ he said.
Yahaya, who is the chairman of Arewa Bird Sellers Association, stressed the need for unity in handling issues in the market, irrespective of tribe, religion and political affiliations.
Responding to the allegations, the Iyaloja of the market, Mrs. Oyebode Adejoke, told Daily Trust Saturday on phone that contrary to the allegations levelled against her, she had no prior knowledge of the fire incident. She said her shop, which she stocked with goods few days ago, was also affected.
“They thought I collected money from the government to set the market on fire. How possible is that? I cannot do such a thing. I was told that the fire started from one shop at the last line, along Awofeso,” she said.
On the issue of lack of cordial relationship between the market leadership and traders, she said, “There is no way everyone in a market will cooperate with leaders. While some cooperate, some will not; you cannot be 100 per cent accepted by all. Some are cooperating with us while some are not.’’
Asked what she is doing to help victims of the incident, Mrs Adejoke said she had made a passionate plea to the state government to come to the aid of the people.
“We are crying to the government to come to our rescue. We will continue to follow up until something is done,” she assured.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, the chairman of Shomolu Local Government Area, Abdulhameed Salawu, appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to come to the aid of the traders. The police spokesperson in Lagos, DSP Bala Elkanah, described the allegation of connivance between the market committee and his men as unfounded. He explained that the police task force had been engaged in clearing markets of illegal occupants to keep them safe.
According to him, some of the illegal occupants in the market engage in stealing and looting shops. “Some of them even smoke and cook around the market. If you also make the market a residential place, we will continue to have fire incidents. The people chased away did not have shops, and as such, did not have any business around the market.
“We are even suspecting that they have a hand in the fire incident. So the people should keep calm and allow us to conclude our investigation,” he said.