Over 100 Shops n Resident Burnt 2 Confirmed Dead

In an early morning incident over hundred shanties were blaze by fire in Kuramo, near Lekki in Lagos yesterday.

Two people lost their lives in this tragic incident, the victims were identified as Azeez, a 27-year-old trader and a lady, simply identified as Kemi.

Though there were conflicting reports as to what led to the fire disaster, which the Secretary of the Community, Mr Michael Onuwaje, said destroyed property worth over N50 million as “it cost N500,000 to construct each of the burnt structures.”

While some report noted that the inferno was caused by a generating set, another report said that a young lady was cooking in one of the shanties with a fuel container nearby, which caught fire and spread to other parts. The residents lamented that the fire spread so fast that many could not salvage their property as they explained that the fire was beyond their reach.

A trader, Jude Obi, who owns two of the affected structures, lamented that he lost N3 million including a cabin and the goods stocked in it. According to him, “I was sleeping when I heard a bang on my door, with someone saying the entire community was on fire. I rushed out immediately and I could not take a pin from the shop. “My shop is well stocked with cloths. This is where most of us manage to make a living and now it is gone. I just pray we will not be evicted by Lagos State Government. I could not salvage a cloth from my shop.

Another resident, who gave his name as Mr. Michael Orioye, said in an emotional tone: “I have been living here for decades. This is where we live and sell to make a living. We are not selling illegal commodities. “We need government to help us. We have children; we have wives. Everyone depends on us. If only we can be given a permanent space. We are not saying we want permanent structures. If only we can be given allocation.”