LAGOS—A three-storey building with 20 built-up shops and three warehouses went up in flames at the Balogun market, Lagos, yesterday, destroying goods worth millions of naira.
Eighty-six traders in the cosmetics and hair attachment section had their shops razed. According to the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA, there was no loss of life.
There were, however, conflicting reports on the cause of the fire said to have started about noon.
While the leadership of the market attributed its cause to clustered power-generating sets used by the traders, the latter alleged that it was arson.
One of the affected traders, Mrs Janet James. who spoke with reporters, lamented that she took a loan to buy new set of cosmetics in the shop.
The Rivers State-born trader, who stared at the ruins of what used to be her family’s means of livelihood, said: “I don’t know where to start from. I just bought goods worth over N10 million, with a loan.
“I had to wait until the dollar rate dropped. I have not sold one per cent of the goods when this happened.
Another trader, who was too devastated to mention his name was heard lamenting before some of his friends, who were consoling him.
He said: “ Somebody must have done this because nobody has been able to state where the fire started from. It was not caused by a power generating set. Whoever did it has sown evil and will reap the same.”
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The Iya Oloja, Hair Attachment and Cosmetics section, Alhaja Kemi Gbajumo and Baba Oja of Breadfruit, Balogun market, Prince Adewunmi Balogun, who were at the scene, expressed sadness over the losses incurred by the traders.
South West Coordinator of NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said: “No one could give information on the exact cause of the fire. But the market leadership decried traders filling a building with too many power generators that the traders use during the day.”
