Five shops with goods worth millions of naira have destroyed by a midnight fire that struck late Saturday in Ede South Local Government Area of Osun State.
This is barely 72 hours after some hoodlums burnt down the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in the LGA.
An eyewitness said the shops, which were located at the Tomori compound, Òde Òkè, opposite Saint Peter’s Anglican Primary School, caught fire immediately electricity supply was restored.
He stated that residents were not aware of the outbreak because the shops were locked, and added that it was late when they discovered.
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The eyewitness said, “It was motorcyclists who noticed smoke coming out of the shops who called out attention to the fire when they raised an alarm.
“Effort to get the fire fighters at their Ọjà Timi Fire Station to arrest the situation was abortive as they told us no equipment is available and the residents of the area had to resort to self help.”
In his reaction, the National President of the Federation of Ede Youth Development Association, Abdulazeez Mufutaudeen Idowu, said that “men of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police and Amotekun were on ground and all assisted in stopping the fire from getting to another building, but unfortunately goods worth millions of Naira were destroyed.
“Tailor/fabric seller, Hairdresser, Aluminium fabricator, ‘Worobo seller’ were among the occupiers of those shops.”
While appreciating the security personnel for assisting in putting out the flame before it caused severe damage, Idowu called on the State government to equip the Osun State Fire Service in order to guard against loss of lives and properties to inferno, especially during this dry season.