No fewer than 90 shops were completely destroyed after a fire incident at a spare parts market in Uwelu, Egor local government area of Edo State.
The fire, which started at about 11:45 pm on Monday, raged until 4 am despite efforts by firefighters, destroying good worth millions of naira.
It was, however, observed that sections of the market affected are the lines where Mercedes Benz, Mazda, Ford and Toyota parts are sold.
One of the traders, Daniel Okungbowa, who said he lost about N4m worth of goods to the fire, said he deals in all types of fuel and oil pumps.
Another victim, Festus Maxwell Osaeruoname, wondered how the fire spread rapidly when there was no power supply to the market.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: El-Zakzaky arrives India hospital
According to him: ” We are yet to ascertain what actually happened the led to the fire. We could not remove anything from our shops.
“Many boys that just got freedom from their masters and open their shops. They are yet to repay the loans they took from various banks.”
Also speaking on the incident, the Chairman of Spare Sparts Delears Association , Mr. Ibie Osaretin Augustine, said “when the security man told me somebody was burning something, I told him to check properly and he told me it was the line where my shop is located that was on fire.
“I called the Edo Fire Service but they did not come. The entire market would have been razed if fire men had not come from UNIBEN and the Nigerian Army.
“For now, we do not suspect any foul play but we have held meeting to appease those affected and stood any suicidal attempt.
“We beg the state government to rebuild the market because we are using loan from micro-finance bank.”