Edo: Fire destroys property worth million in spare parts market

Properties worth millions of naira were on Tuesday destroyed at Uwelu motor spare parts market in Benin, the Edo state capital when fire razed down over hundred shops at the market.

It was gathered that the fire which started late Monday night, lasted till early hours Tuesday, before it was put off by combined efforts from fire service and the traders.

It was further gathered that over 100 shops were affected by the fire.

Speaking with journalists on the development, the chairman, Motor Spare Parts Association, Uwelu branch, Ibie Augustine Osaretin, said over 100 shops with spare parts worth hundreds of millions of naira were destroyed in the fire.

He said it took the intervention of the University of Benin and the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army fire service to put out the fire, adding that the whole market would have been razed down if not their efforts.

“My store was also affected, my goods came from Onitsha and Lagos market.We have lost hundreds of millions of naira in the fire and the cause of the fire is yet to ascertained,” he said.

He called on the state and local government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aids as majority of the affected traders obtained loan from microfinance bank to sustain their trade.

Another trader, Maxwell Festus, who deals in Mercedes Benz spare parts, said his goods worth N15 million naira were destroyed in the fire.

Also speaking, Daniel Okungbowa, a trader in the market, lamented that he lost about N4 million worth of goods in the fire, adding that this not the first time the market was gutted by fire.