Ogun to probe Lipede market fire

The Ogun State Government has vowed to carry out a thorough investigation to ascertain the root cause of the fire incident which destroyed 15 shops and goods worth millions of naira at the Oba Lipede International Market, Kuto, Abeokuta, on Saturday night.

The Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr  Adebola Sofela, made this known during an on-the-spot assessment visit to the market on Monday.

He said the essence of the thorough investigation was to know what went wrong and how to prevent a recurrence of the incident.

Sofela said, “Experts will be deployed to conduct an integrity test on the building of the market to determine the impact of the fire, while the government will also not delay the rehabilitation of parts of the market affected by the inferno.”

The commissioner, who was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola, officials of the market’s board, as well as the Iyaloja, Mrs. Tejumade Bakre, among other leaders, noted that the main building, which was constructed over 43 years ago would always be protected and maintained given its monumental economic value to the residents of the state.

He assured the residents that Governor Dapo Abiodun would come up with plans to ameliorate the pains of traders whose property was gutted during the inferno.

Decrying the looting of some shops shortly after the incident, the market leader, Mrs Tejumade Bakre, appreciated government and security agents for coming to their rescue.

The fire incident which started at about 10:15 pm on Saturday, was said to have been caused by the explosion of a generator being powered by gas and owned by a businessman in the market.

The Commissioner for Special Duties, Mrs Funmi Efuwape, had on Sunday told newsmen that 15 shops were affected by the incident.

Efuwape said that the fire started from the illegal structures outside and erupted into the main building saying that the government would consider the demolition of shanties and illegal structures in the market to restore sanity and orderliness.