Tessy Igomu
As black smoke billowed into the afternoon sky, choking sooth filled the air, making it almost impossible for those around to breathe.
Martins Street, despite being one of the most boisterous in the market, was, that afternoon, as silent as a graveyard. The only sound heard was that of a humming excavator, pillaging what was left of the building tagged No.3.
The sadness that hung in the air days after three buildings went up in flames was palpable. At every turn leading into narrow alleys housing several business premises stood men with bloodshot eyes, distraught women with tears trickling down their faces as well as onlookers.
As the excavator pulled out bales of scorched laces, shoes, bags and other merchandise, the anguish on the faces of the hapless shop owners deepened. Right before them and in irredeemable ruins were their years of struggle and sweat.
For many of the traders that lost their wares to the two-day inferno that ravaged shops in the Lagos Central Business, it will take a quite a long time before the wounds of the tragedy can fully heal. Counting the cost of the tragedy and revealing how it has hampered their lives left many of the victims in tears.
“Hey, I am finished. That is one of the laces I just offloaded from a container yesterday,” a woman in a yellow T-shirt sobbed uncontrollably, slapping herself on the face and clawing her own arms in utter grief.
“Where do I start from? I am a widow and that is my livelihood that has all been destroyed in hours. Who did I offend?”
Chima Peters is a native of Imo State. A gash on his forehead, covered with bloodstained dressing, was a tell tale sign of his lucky escape from being killed by angry flames that engulfed his shop. This was as he attempted to salvage his trapped goods. The young man, who sells schoolbags, said he lost goods worth N3.2 million. He said the loss could have been more if he had not risked going into the fire.
Despite his loss, he said he could at least thank his stars for being alive to tell his story. He said the future was uncertain, stating that he plunged all the money he got from his boss, whom he served for years, into restocking his shop for the coming Yuletide season.
Recalling all that transpired on that fateful day, Peters stated that he was at home when his younger brother called to tell him that the next building to theirs was on fire.
“I raced to the shop in minutes. All through the time I was in the vehicle, my mind was blank because I didn’t know what awaited me,” he said in agony.
“With the help of a friend, Izuchuckwu and one Hausa man, we ran to my shop on the fifth floor and salvaged some goods. While racing back, a wall pulled off from the fourth floor and plunged the whole place into darkness.”
The young man said momentarily, he was buried by falling debris inside the burning building, forcing him to grope about blindly in the pitch darkness. He recalled hovering between life and death throughout that period, not knowing what to do.
“I was scared to death and was even more scared for my friend and the other Hausa man that came to help me because everywhere was silent. I called out for my friend but there was no response. Everywhere I turned, I walked into a wall. When I started choking and the heat became unbearable, out of desperation, I pushed one of the walls and it came loose and from there, I stepped right into the fire. Seeing that the only means of escape was through the fire, I ran through it only to fall out of the building and land with my head on a wall. I fainted and was resuscitated by officials of the Lagos State government. How I survived remains a mystery.”
Peters said he later discovered that the two men he was worried about made it out alive and without any injury.
He lamented that many of his friends lost so much but that in all, he is optimistic they would pull though. He, however, appealed for help from the Lagos State government and other well meaning individuals.
Ignatius Akunedoziobi is the chairman of the shopping complex where the fire initially started from before spreading to other buildings. The 58-year-old man lamented that the traders lost so much and might never recover from the shock in a long time. He also said several of the traders had just taken delivery of their goods in preparation for Christmas celebration, with most of the merchandise yet to be paid for.
“Many of the traders here have lost everything. The amount can’t be quantified. It can run into billions. I am a man that has seen so much in life. This is a big blow to me but what can I do? I lost millions to the defunct Savannah Bank; all the money I worked for while living in China just went like that. If I can survive that, God will help me to get through this,” he said with optimism.
He also appealed to the state government to help the traders cushion the effect of the loss, stressing that most of them are presently left with nothing to fall back on.
Annie Chinelo, stood and seemed lost in thought among other traders milling around heaps of goods retrieved from the burning buildings. A look at her showed she was in turmoil. Her husband, known among the traders as Onwa, lost goods worth N15 million to the fire incident. The reporter was told that he owned five shops and several warehouses in the shopping complex being demolished.
“All I can say is, thank you Jesus. My husband can’t come here because he might collapse. The pain and shock is too much to bear. As long as there is life, there is hope,” she muttered.
By the staircase of the Great Nigeria House sat Desmond Okpe, another busines man in obvious distress. With a hand supporting his cheek, he nodded intermittently to words of encouragement from friends that came to console him. The young man said all the suits, blazers and wedding gowns that he just offloaded were all burnt.
“I can’t say anything now because I might break down,” he mumbled already displaying emotions. With this, he stood and walked away, followed by his friend.
Emmanuel Okoro, another trader, blamed himself for not taking the initiative to check out what was happening on the penthouse of 43, Martins Street when he saw smoke coming out. The young man said if he, alongside others with him, had acted swiftly, the fire could have been contained. He said that yearly, such incidents occur but no damage as extensive as the one being experienced now was ever recorded.
“I help my elder brother to sell in one of his two shops. He lost one of the shops but he is grateful to God we all survived. I almost suffocated while trying to salvage some goods. I had to run out without anything, to save my life,” he said.
With most of them unsure of what the coming days, weeks, months and years have in wait, they are all but thankful for the gift of life. In the words of a victim, Obum Okechukwu, they all hope to rise but really need the help of Nigerians to brave the uncertainties that their losses brought upon them.