Traders count losses as fire razes stores in Edo

Traders affected by last Friday’s inferno in Benin, Edo State are counting their losses which they claim runs into several millions of naira.

The fire incident which was reportedly caused by power surge at about 6:00 am occurred at No-82, Sokponba Road by 1st Junction.

The fire which gutted five stores was, however, put off by officials of Edo State Fire Service after property in the stores were destroyed.

One of the traders, Helen Ngwu, who operates a patent medicine store lamented losing all her investment. Ngwu, who said all her hope was dashed, called on the state government and well- meaning individuals to come to their aid.

“I want to appeal to the state government and well-spirited individuals to come to my rescue. When I got here, I met my store completely burnt. I really don’t know what happened. Everything I have laboured for since 2000 has burnt down.

“My medicines worth millions of naira got burnt and I didn’t pick anything out of the store.

“Right now as I am talking to you, I do not have a kobo, everything is burnt down. Government should come to help me. I am on my knees, I do not want to go to the street, I do not want to start begging, I do not want to start prostitution”.

Chidolo Obi, a sales representative in a building materials store, who also narrated his ordeal, said over N40m worth of goods were destroyed by the fire.

“I can’t explain how the fire started but the goods that have been burnt are between N40 million and N50 million. I also kept about N2 million cash in the store before my boss travelled. But all these are gone,” he lamented.

Another victim, Maureen Igbineweka, who deals on artistic materials, said she recently took delivery of her goods all of which have been consumed in the fire.

“I cannot estimate the amount of money but it’s not less than N5 million because I just recently returned from the market and everything that I kept in the store got burnt. You know that our materials are very expensive”, she said.