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Scene of the inferno
A large number of children on Monday scrambled for scraps to sell from the remains of 100 shops and houses burnt in a midnight fire in the Oko Baba Sawmill, Ebute Meta area of Lagos State.
A mosque in the area was also burnt down.
The lads, whose ages range from three to 13 years, said they would make a fortune selling the scraps to dealers, who usually push wheelbarrow into the community whenever they suffered a fire tragedy.
It will be the third time, in less than a year that the sawmill will be gutted by fire.
In August 20, 2014, PUNCH Metro reported that more than 5,000 shanties were burnt in the community after an overnight fire ravaged the area.
On January 13, 2015 our correspondent further reported that a household in the community lost three kids, while hundreds of residents were rendered homeless after another fire gutted the sawmill.
Our correspondent gathered that the latest fire outbreak started around 2am on Monday after a resident, whose generator developed a fault, left it and ran away after it exploded.
People, who spoke with PUNCH Metro, said after the man ran away from the house, the fire spread to other rooms and shops.
Although no life was lost in the incident, property estimated at millions of naira was said to have been destroyed.
A trader, Bilikisu Agunbiade, said she lost goods and tools worth N10m to the inferno.
She said, “I learnt a man in the neighbourhood turned on his generator which exploded and caught fire around 2am. He then quickly shut the door and ran away and that was how the fire spread.
“People thought it would be easy to put the fire out, but the more we tried, the more it raged. I lost my cutting machine, sewing machine, spindle and generator.”
She said the fire raged for about three hours before men of the Lagos State Fire Service arrived at the scene.
Onyebuchi Obobo, a carpenter, said all the work he had prepared for his customers were burnt.
“I lost all I had. I don’t have any hope except God performs a miracle. I lost goods and tools valued at N2m,” he added.
Sunday Janta, a furniture maker, said he suffered the same fate as obobo.
He told PUNCH Metro that his customers had agreed to give him time to remake the damaged jobs.
Our correspondent gathered that a few of the residents were able to get their property to safety before the fire razed the mill.
Scores of kids were sighted by our correspondent digging out burnt iron rods, plates, nails and copper wire, among others.
One of the kids, who identified himself as Ibrahim (13), said he made N4, 000 after fire razed his parents’ apartment in January.
He said, “I worked with a lady and we both made N4, 000 last time fire burnt this place. Our house was burnt and we rebuilt it.
“Now that fire has burnt this side, I am here to make money.
“I am just starting to gather scraps and the little I have gathered so far can fetch me N150.”
A five-year-old boy, who did not identify himself, showed our correspondent a handful of scraps, which he said he would sell for N200.
“I will not collect anything less than N200. That’s my final price, “he said.
Some other kids were seen at different spots, digging into the ashes for scraps as smoke billowed out of the rubble.
A cobbler in the area, Jubril Nosiru, appealed to the government to assist the residents, adding that affordable accommodation was the solution to the problem of people living in shanties.
He said, “Nobody wishes to live in a shanty. It is because there is no option. Here, people pay just N37, 000 for a year and half rent.
“But outside a place like this, payment for commission and agency has drained your pocket before you now talk of the real fee. The government should help us.”
The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe could not be reached as of press time.
However, an alert sent to our correspondent as of 4.44am on Monday, read, “A massive outbreak of fire is on now involving the Oko Baba Plank Market.
“Six fire trucks are battling with it.”
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