By Correspondent in Ilorin.
Properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed as fire gutted six shops, opposite the Kwara State Art and Culture Centre at Geri-Alimi area in Ilorin, Kwara state capital on Sunday morning.
The Reporters gathered that the incident, which started at midnight of saturday upto Sunday, destroyed all goods in the shops before the operatives of the State Fire Service could get to the scene on a rescue mission.
Speaking with our reporter, one of the victims, Mrs Anifat Adetoro, who sells unisex ready-made clothes, fashion accessories and claimed to have stocked her shop with goods two days ago, for onward sale for “December market”, said her was shop totally destroyed.
“I just bought new goods a few days ago to enable me meet up with December demands. I received a call from one of my neighbours around 5:23 a.m when I woke up to perform early morning prayer, and I was told that fire was burning our shops.
“On getting there, we met operatives of Fire Service on ground trying to quench the inferno. If not for them, almost all shops in this building would have been destroyed,”she narrated.
“The goods in my shop alone worth three million-plus, because I also sell jewellery and I just got a jewellery order to deliver to a client in Saki, Oyo state by Monday and all these were destroyed.
” I want the state government and well to do people in the society to please come to my assistance, because this is all my life, our kindhearted governor should please come to our rescue,” she appealed.
Another victim, Mr Owolabi Akeem, who sells animal drugs, feed and poultry equipment, said he got a call around 5:30 a.m, adding that he devastated with what I met.
“I don’t even know what’s next in my life, we will be grateful if the government can come to our support, in terms of financial aid to pick up ourselves again.
“My goods in the shop valued at N4 four milliion and above, and on the cause of the inferno, we can not say precisely, It’s only God that knows the cause”
Confirming the incident, the Head of Department, Media and Publicity, Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, efforts of the personnel of the Service saved the Shopping complex located at Gari-Alimi Opposite Art and Culture Ilorin”
“It was DPO ‘B’ Division of the Nigeria police Force, Kwara State Command Ilorin, who quickly summoned the Brigade to the scene of occurrence at about 05:35hrs this Morning”
“However, firemen were able to eliminate the ravaging fire on time,cout of 41 shops, only 6 shops in the shopping complex were affected”
“The inferno was caused as a result of Electric Surge from one of the shops,”he disclosed.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
