Traders at the Ikoku Market on Saturday January 30, 2010 were thrown into confusion as fire broke out from one of the shops in the market and gutted down several other shops. The affected area which is just opposite the Intercontinental Bank in the area, attracted the attention of other traders who called the fire service.

Speaking to our man, a trader who spoke on account of anonymity said the fire started at abut 6:30pm. To him, the incident is as a result of occultic manipulations.

“E be like say you no know wetin dey for Ikoku. You think say people wey dey there (Ikoku) na small people? It you dey do business for Ikoku, you no strong, dem fit make you become imbecile. You go do business dey cry say God hate you, you no know say na your fellow human being dey witch you.” The source further disclosed that the same place where the fire occurred last year is the same shop it occurred this year.

“Last year, that same place been catch fire. Some of them (the occultic men) if fire no destroy things like dat, them no go rich. You know say everybody wan meet up. Nobody wan suffer so dem go involve for something wey go give dem quick money. The thing no be new thing for us wey dey Ikoku, because we know wetin dey happen.”

When asked how the fire was put off, he answered: “Na fire service come off am. When dem come, there water no do. E be like say na one drum dem carry come. Dem come go back go carry another one come and before dem come reach, fire don burn things well well.”

Another trader, who gave his name as Prince, said, although no one could really explain how it happened, but that the fire came from a generator that was at the back of the shops. He said the shops in question contained brand new tyres and that a total of five shops were burnt down plus two others which only the roofs were burnt. He said that goods and a cash of N4.5m were burnt. He estimated that everything burnt in the fire was worth N10m. Efforts to get the affected traders to comment on the incident proved abortive, as they declined to speak to the press.
 

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