By Damilola Kushimo
No fewer than 15 shops were razed by fire in the inferno that ravaged a complex of shops along Fatai Irawo, Ajao Estate, Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos State on Friday, January 31, 2020 as shop owners recount their losses.
The fire, which was said to have broken out in the by electricity glitch, ravaged almost all shops in the complex at 34, Fatai Irawo Street, Ajao Estate, destroying goods and properties worth millions of naira, turning the complex to scavengers’ site.
The Manager of Wait and Carry Express Cargo, Mr. Emeka John who owns two warehouses in the complex, expressed his shocking belief at the extent at which the fire consumed almost all shipped goods in one of his warehouses, stating that only little items could be salvaged.
Speaking with Daily Post, he said: “Everything inside here (one of the warehouses) got burnt. We could only recover little items. Goods worth Millions of naira as well as 200 Dollar cash and about N800,000 thousand in the safe got burnt in the shop.”
Speaking on possible cause of the fire, John explained: “I don’t really know what caused the fire. I just got a call around past 2 that the shop is burning. I thought it is not something as much as this not knowing it has burnt down already.”
An eye witness who does not want his name in print said the likely cause of the inferno is electric glitch, stressing that almost all appliances in the shop were heard working including Air Conditioner.
He, however, blamed the fire service for not being at the spot on time, adding that more goods would have been saved if the Police had not denied them entrance till the shop owners came.
According to a sympathetic and devastated John, “Right now I don’t know what to do, all my customers are on my neck I don’t know what to do.
Efforts to get more shop owners to make press statement proved abortive as most of them were still in shock of the devastating inferno.
It was learnt that a shop belonging to wife of the Councillor representing Ajao Estate Ward, Hon. Magnus Chidiebere also got burnt in the inferno but effort to get her for comment proved abortive as well, as at press time.
The Chairman, Isolo LCDA, Hon. Shamsudeen Olaleye had earlier visited the incident scene to sympathise with the shop owners.
