From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Three women have reportedly died after a dilapidated building collapsed on them at Arakale area of Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The women who were members of the Fish Sellers Association died while trying to evade arrest by the Task Force of the association.
The deceased were said to be hiding inside the building without the knowledge of those working there.
A source said one of the victims, identified as Dorcas Ajayi died in the incident while trying to hide her wares from the union task force because she was owing the sum of N1000.
The husband of the deceased who identified himself as Ayayi said her wife was trying to hide her wares from the task force when she met her untimely death.
He said he was informed of her wife’s death while working on his farm.
“I was on the farm when I was called that something happened to my wife. I found my wife dead under the rubbles and took the body to the mortuary.
“They sold a form for her at the rate of N2000 and she had paid N1000. They chased her to pay the balance of N1000 and she went to hide her goods under that building while the building collapsed on her some other fish sellers,” he said.
The deceased son, Segun described the death of her mother as pathetic and blamed the task force for it.
Meanwhile, members of the Fish Sellers Association, protested to the Ondo Governor’s office over the death of their members, calling on the state government to dissolve the leadership of the union.
They alleged that the leadership of the association have been inflicting hardship on the members instead of solving their problems.
They claimed that the deceased was barred from buying fish from any of the cold rooms in Akure because she was unable to pay the balance of N1000 fee for the purchase of the registration form.