From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Goods worth millions of naira were yesterday, razed by a midday inferno on Lagos Street, Benin City, Edo State.
The storey building housing the shops is said to be owned by a popular woman called ‘Madam Lagos.’
It was gathered that the fire started around 11am.
One of the distraught shop owners, Chioma Kelvin, said she got a call when she was in the church that her shop was on fire.
She said before she could get to her jewelry shop, the fire had already razed everything.
“I don’t know the time the fire started because I was in the church when they called to inform me that my shop was on fire.
“Today being Saturday, I don’t usually open my shop,” she said.
Chioma said she lost several millions of naira to the inferno, and called on the state government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to her aid.
“I want the government and all Nigerians to come to my rescue,” she said.
One of the sympathisers, Obina Obi, blamed the Edo State Fire Service for not coming on time, adding that if they arrived early, they would have been able to salvage the situation.
“We called the fire service (but) they didn’t pick the calls.
“The fire started very little; had it been the fire fighters came on time, they would have been able to save the situation,” he said.