Dosunmu market fire victims: Following the devastating fire outbreak at Dosunmu market in Lagos, BABATUNDE TITILOLA sheds light on the immense loss suffered by the victims, while also emphasizing the need for a safety culture.
Alhaja Mainat Bakare’s voice trembled as she recounted the heart-wrenching ordeal to our correspondent. Tears welled up in her reddened eyes as she struggled to articulate the devastation caused by the unexpected inferno that reduced her recently restocked warehouse on Dosunmu Street to ruins.
“I have a warehouse where I store tailoring and fashion accessories. Just recently, I offloaded a container,” she said, gesturing towards the now charred remains of her once thriving business. “All the goods worth millions went up in flames. It’s heartbreaking.”
Bakare revealed that she and her fellow traders had been relying on loans to keep their businesses afloat amid the harsh economic conditions. “Some of us are surviving on credit facilities. We urge the government and other authorities to assist us. We appeal to Nigerians for help because this loss is too much to bear,” she added, her voice choked with grief.
The fire, reportedly ignited by the careless refueling of a generator in one of the buildings’ penthouses, engulfed at least 14 structures in its path. As Saturday PUNCH visited Dosunmu Market, Idumota, the aftermath of the fire was evident, with charred remains and shattered dreams strewn across the landscape.
Traders and residents who lost their shops and homes to the blaze stood amidst the ruins, their faces etched with despair and hopelessness. Samuel, an electronics merchant, lamented the loss of the money he had borrowed to invest in his business. “I kept the money in my shop, intending to buy more goods the next day. Now, I’m left with nothing,” he said, his voice trembling with anguish.
Speculation swirled among bystanders about the cause of the fire, with many attributing it to the refueling of a generator in one of the affected buildings’ penthouses. Uche, who operated a printing shop in the penthouse, was reportedly refueling his generator when the fire erupted, spreading rapidly and consuming neighboring structures.
Returning to the market the following day, our correspondent witnessed efforts to extinguish lingering flames and salvage whatever remained of the devastated buildings. Alhaja Supo, another shop owner, shared her anguish at losing her recently acquired clothing materials. “I had just bought materials for a client’s order. Now, I’m left with nothing,” she lamented, echoing the sentiments of many others whose lives were upended by the tragic fire.
She expressed, “I had just purchased materials for someone’s daughter’s wedding. It was with the payment I received that I bought these materials. Now that everything is lost, I feel lost too. Everyone I would normally turn to for help in this market has also suffered the same fate.”
Femi, another trader in the market, shared his story, revealing that he had hoped to settle his loan with the sales he expected to make by the week’s end. He had been diligently paying off the six-month debt since November 2023, anticipating the relief of being free from monthly obligations before the tragedy struck. “Now that I’ve lost everything, I don’t know where to start. I can’t even consider taking out another loan right now. I need to recover from this loss,” he lamented, his family still reeling from the shock of the fire.
Our investigation uncovered that many of the affected shop owners were unfamiliar with the concept of fire insurance and had not invested in one. One trader admitted that although her cousin had advised her to insure her shop against fire outbreaks, she hadn’t done so due to the associated costs. “I know about it, but how can I afford fire insurance when I haven’t finished paying for the shop? There are so many other financial demands in this tough economy,” she explained.
Former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, reported in January 2022 that the country had lost 136 lives and property worth N3 trillion to various fire incidents in 2021. With insurance penetration standing at a meager 0.5 percent as of March 2022, according to Leadway Assurance, Nigeria ranks among the lowest in Africa in terms of insurance coverage.
The fire at Dosunmu market is just one in a series of recent fire incidents in Lagos State. On January 21, a blaze engulfed the popular 10-storey Mandilas building on Broad Street, destroying shops and merchandise worth millions of naira. Two weeks later, on February 4, 2024, a plank market in Abule Egba was ravaged by fire, resulting in substantial losses. Another fire incident occurred on January 26, 2021, at Alade Market in Somolu, while the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu was also consumed by fire on December 30, 2023, destroying several shops and livestock.
Governor Responds to Dosunmu Market Fire, Blames Irresponsibility
During his visit to the Dosunmu market fire scene on Thursday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu expressed his dismay and promptly ordered the closure of the market. He emphasized the need for a thorough assessment to identify structures not compliant with regulatory standards, hinting that such structures would face consequences.
“This is a result of negligence and irresponsibility. Until we can conduct a comprehensive assessment and clean-up of this area, the market will remain closed. Some buildings will have to be demolished. This is unacceptable. We will not tolerate a few individuals who disregard our laws and endanger the lives of others,” he asserted.
Sanwo-Olu stressed the government’s commitment to enforcing regulations, particularly in markets, and warned against non-compliance. He vowed to take decisive action against structures that do not adhere to safety guidelines.
“We will not sit idly by and allow another disaster to occur. Many residential buildings have been unlawfully converted into warehouses, including living spaces. The authorities responsible for physical planning will face severe consequences for this recurring incident,” the governor declared.
Following the containment of the fire, Governor Sanwo-Olu held a meeting with the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, on Friday to strategize the next steps. In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, the governor expressed disappointment at the reckless handling of flammable materials and reiterated the importance of adhering to safety measures. Continue Reading
