Traders affected by a fire outbreak at Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos State, have appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for financial support to help them recover their losses.
The fire destroyed a multi-storey commercial building on Somoye Street in the early hours of Tuesday. Goods worth several millions of naira were lost in the incident.
The building was occupied by dealers in computers and electronic accessories, making it an important business centre in the area. The fire started shortly after midnight and completely destroyed the upper floor of the building.
Initial reports said the fire was caused by an electrical surge after power supply was restored. No life was lost.
When reporters visited the scene on Wednesday, scavengers were seen searching through the burnt remains, while shop owners stood helplessly, watching what was left of their businesses.
Many of the affected traders said they lost everything, including cash, laptops, and other expensive electronic items. They also called on the government to improve fire safety facilities in busy business areas like Computer Village.
One of the victims, Chucks, said he had just brought in new stock a day before the fire.
“I restocked my shop on Monday, and by Tuesday morning, everything was gone,” he said.
He added that the fire service equipment was not strong enough, as water pressure was low and firefighters struggled to reach the upper floor.
Chucks appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu for compensation, saying the traders are law-abiding taxpayers.
“This is not the first time this kind of fire is happening here. We pay our taxes and meet our responsibilities. We are begging the government to help us and also improve the fire service,” he said.
According to him, none of the traders in the affected building was able to save anything.
“There are about 13 traders here, and none of us recovered even a single item. My personal loss is about ₦130 million because I deal in laptops and other expensive gadgets,” he added.
Another trader, Ebere Chimosor, said he lost goods worth over ₦10 million and also called on the government for assistance.
“I do my business peacefully here. This has nothing to do with tribe. All we want is help from the local and state governments,” he said, noting that the fire service helped prevent the fire from spreading further.
The Chairman of Ikeja Local Government Area, Akeem Dauda, later visited the site to assess the damage and sympathise with the traders.
He assured them of the council’s support and advised business owners to always follow safety rules, especially concerning electrical wiring, to prevent future incidents.
