How Ladipo Traders Lost Millions To Inferno Due To Lack Of Fire Extinguishers & Illegal Shops In The Market 

MICHAEL AKINOLA 

Many traders at the Aguiyi Ironsi International Market, Ladipo, Lagos, are now counting their losses as they were said to have lost millions of Naira because they could not provide fire extinguishers for emergencies and had built shops, which blocked the entrances to the market and formed impedance during attempts to quench the inferno. 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the fire  incident started at about 10pm on Saturday from a building complex. When the security men on ground attempted to quench the fire at the initial stage, they went to the point where fire extinguishers were kept inside the market but met empty cans. 

According to some of the security men on duty, they were helpless and the fire continued to spread to other shops and buildings in the market. 

The traders alleged the cans of empty fire extinguishers found in the market  were bought about five years ago during the former administration that handed  over to the present leadership and there was no emergency measures put in place like providing the fire extinguishers rather they faced building of shops on the entrances with the approval  of the some officials of Mushin Local Government.

Unknown to the traders, who kept mum and bought shops on the entrances, which were blocked with the shops, they did not envisage that there would be such a fire disaster, which has now wrecked some of the traders in the market. 

According to an eyewitness, when the fire fighters eventually raced to the  scene, it became a herculean task to enter the market because shops were said to have been built on the entrances of the market.

The fire, which started at about 10pm was eventually controlled around 5am due the challenges faced by the LASEMA officials and other first responders including men of the Lagos State Fire Service and the Lagos State Police Command deployed to the incident scene.

In a statement, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Adeseye Margaret, confirmed the Incident but did not  disclose the value of properties  destroyed by the inferno.