Traders at Ipata market in the Ilorin East local Government Area of Kwara State are over the losses they suffered after fire gutted the market’s animal section, killing about 70 cattle on Thursday, June 3, 2021. The fire also affected bags of animal feed, including beans chaffs, guinea corn, and wheat ovals among others.

Earlier, foodstuffs such as yam tubers, yam flour, rice and soup ingredients, pepper, tomatoes and onions were destroyed in a midnight fire in the market on December 21, 2020. The fire incident according to the state fire service started at about 1.25am and affected 11 shops in the market.

A trader, Mallam Yahaya Oladoke otherwise called Baba Elelubo, who sold animals and animal feeds in the market, noted that he lost some rams and over 300 bags of animal feed to the incident.

Oladoke said, I lost cows worth N1.6m and N1. 4m cash and more than 300 bags of beans chaffs to the inferno. Each bag of beans chaff costs N8,000. We buy wheat meal at N5,500 from Sokoto,  Zamfara and Katsina markets. I just returned from the market when the fire started.’’

Another trader in the market, Mallam Mansur Umar, said that he had never experienced the fire incident in his life, adding that, “I suddenly saw fire and before I could get here, it had already consumed my shop and spread fast. I lost cows, rams and goats.

“When we were called from home, I was already devastated seeing the intensity of the fire. We started breaking the doors of shops for the goats and rams to escape the inferno. Sadly, many of them were already dead while those that were not dead escaped and ran away.”

A trader, who sells goats, rams and animal feeds, Mallam Saheed Guruma, said that he received supply of animal feed twice before the fire, adding that he lost over 500 bags of feed to the fire.

“The fire was blown by wind and spread to the bags of feed kept in the stall. The feeds are already dry and this fuelled the fire which spread quickly to where we kept the animals. The nature of the feeds encouraged the fire and that is the reason why it was difficult to put it out,” he said.

Another trader, Umar Omolabi, who also said that he lost cows and goats to the fire, said that he searched the neighbourhood to see if he could recover some of the lost animals. Omolabi stated, “My business is finished. I lost my life Investment to the fire. Where are we going to start from? Where will I start from and how will I get fund to start another business?’’

For another trader, Alhaji Issa AbdulRaheem, he left his animals with his brother and travelled to Ondo State to supply some animals. He stated that he was still in Ondo when he heard of the news.

He said, “I took some animals to Ondo State to sell. I left my animals with my brother. It was not the first time I did that. I usually leave my animals with my brothers anytime I travel. He use to sell some of them for me and give me the money on arrival. I heard of the fire incident in Ondo and I saw the effect of the fire incident when I arrived. I plead with the government to assist us to return to business because we have nobody to help us. Some of us are indebted to microfinance banks. How we are going to repay the debt is our major concern now. My investment is gone. We need financial help to start our business afresh.”

The affected traders appealed to the state government to assist them in evacuating the dump, noting that apart from the fact that the fire reportedly spread from the dump to their goods, it could also cause epidemic outbreak.

However, Chairman of the Ilorin Emirate Ram and Goat Sellers Association and babaloja of Ipata market, Alhaji Omolabi Owura, said that the wind which accompanied the rain on the day of the incident increased the fire in a dump located behind the animal market.

A trader in the market who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that the fire could have been caused by hemp remnants probably thrown to the dump by smokers who used to converge near the dump at night when the animal sellers had gone home.

The trader said, “Indian hemp smokers usually converge on a refuse at night to smoke. They often smoke and drop the remnants on the dump.

Owura said he learnt that the market was burning through someone who called him on the phone.

He said, “I also called some of the traders. We called the fire service, radio and television stations to help us to alert the people so that they would help us to contain the raging fire. The state fire service came on time with three fire-fighting vehicles. They exhausted the water in the three vehicles before the fire was eventually doused.

“Things have already gone out of hand before the fire was contained. Some of the stalls where we kept animals had got burnt. Some were dead and others escaped into the surrounding areas while the feed stores were completely destroyed because of the dry feeds kept there. Animals and animal feeds worth millions of naira were lost to the inferno.”

The babaloja of Ipata market, who lamented that his members lost goods to the inferno, put the cost at between N25m and N30m.

He said it was the first time fire would gut the market’s animal section.

He added, “Many traders were affected. Apart from 12 shop owners, there are others who buy animals and animal feeds and keep them in the custody of the traders with stalls in the market.

The state deputy governor, Mr Kayode Alabi, visited the scene of the incident on Friday to sympathise with the affected traders.

Alabi told the governor that the government would get in touch with them.

The babaloja however urged the government to assist the victims with capital to return to their trade, relocate the refuse and build a modern market to accommodate us.

On her part, the Iyaloja General of Kwara State, Alhaja Adenike Lambe, who also visited the market, urged the state government to assist victims of the two fire incidents at the market.

The market leader, who claimed that the government had yet to reach out to the victims of the first fire incident, said they were hopeful that the government would assist the traders to return to their businesses.

Commenting on the recent incident, the Head of Media and Publicity of the Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, who said that the latest incident was extinguished by the state fire service, noted that 15 cattle, 15 sheep, 15 rams and more than 25 goats were burnt to ashes.

The fire which started at about 10.30pm affected mainly the animal and the animal feeds section of the market. It also extended to three shops and an open shed constructed with planks for goat sellers.

Adekunle said, “The Brigade was summoned to this vicious incident at about 22:31hours through a telephone call by one Mr. Lawal. Despite the intensity of the blazing fire, the fire-fighters were able to eliminate it on time and prevent it from spreading to the surrounding buildings in the market vicinity area.’’