Several traders and their dependents wailed uncontrollably as their sources of income went up in flames. The Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osayintolu, properties worth billions of Naira, including two houses, have been consumed in the 2, 200 sqm market. An embittered Abdulwasiu Salawudeen Owolabi, a trader in the market expressed disappointment after officials of the state fire service arrived the scene and did little to quench the fire before leaving. It was between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. that about three fire services, including the Federal Fire Service came around, and it was very late already. Another trader, Mr. Adeshina Shakurudeen, said: “I now know that in this country, we are on our own, which means that we don’t have a government that can effectively respond when citizens are need.”

Source: The Guardian January 26, 2020 03:56 UTC