The Lagos Island market, popularly known as Isale Eko or Eko market, is one of the largest markets in Lagos. It has existed even before colonial rule.
Mrs. Idiayat Allison-Dosunmu, a businesswoman who owns stalls in the popular market, said her own mother sold textiles and other clothing materials in the market to raise her and her siblings before retiring and passing the business to her.
“In those days, I used to come to the shop with her. After finishing school as a child, I would go to my mother’s shop on Dosunmu street. This business is over a hundred years old, and all we’ve worked for vanished in one day,” the sixty-year-old woman said to The Record, tears clouding her eyes.
April 9, 2024 is a day many traders and shop owners in Dosunmu market, Lagos Island, will not forget in a hurry. A raging fire, sparked by refuelling a generator, erupted on the fourth floor of No. 10, Dosunmu street. The fire quickly spiralled out of control, fueled by stored fuel in containers in a penthouse housing a printing shop with chemical contents.
According to an official statement by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the fire destroyed 12 building structures, with two buildings, including the source of the fire, collapsing.
Over 200 traders and shop owners have been affected by this devastating fire, resulting in losses amounting to millions of naira. Mrs. Dosunmu lost two shops, including a warehouse filled with goods worth over N20 million.
For Mrs. Kubirat Azeez, another affected business owner, the fire didn’t just take away her own source of livelihood but also her husband’s, as his shops were also burnt. Additionally, her sibling’s business suffered as she too had a shop on Dosunmu Street.
“There’s no one to turn to for help. The wife can’t seek assistance from the husband, the husband can’t reach out to the wife, and even siblings can’t support each other. This is too much for my family. Lagos State Government should help us,” Mrs. Azeez pleaded while speaking with The Record.
According to Mr. Nwachukwu Obi (name changed to protect source), not all traders lost their goods to the fire. Some of his goods remained intact in a bank vault beneath the rubble.
“I informed them about my vault and gave them the passcode to open it. They returned to claim they couldn’t find anything, which is impossible. They stole my goods,” Obi accused the government officials overseeing the excavation.
Despite some excavation officials denying these claims when speaking to The Record, other traders and shop owners supported Mr. Obi’s assertions. They accused certain firefighters of accepting bribes to prioritize specific sections of the burning buildings.
Although excavation works are still underway at the collapsed sites, the Lagos State Government has established a committee for assessment and enumeration for the affected shops and business owners.
During a visit to the site, our reporter observed some of the victims gathered under a canopy with a banner displaying “Fire Outbreak Committee Members.”
Mrs. Dosunmu expressed concerns about the committee set up by the Lagos Government, stating that they haven’t received proper information or attention.
“All we do is write names and phone numbers every day. I asked about the previous list where we wrote our names the other day, and one of the panel members said they lost it. Is this how they’re going to treat us?” she lamented.
She further urged the state government to scrutinise the committee and ensure transparency and accountability, so that all affected market women and shop owners will be duly compensated.