A midnight inferno has razed a shopping complex at Ijoka area of Akure, destroying goods and some staple multimillion naira food stocked for Christmas.  

Peoples Gazette learnt that the fire that began around 12: 30 am, on Saturday destroyed about six shops located inside the complex. 

One of the affected shop owners and traders, Titilope Adebayo, revealed that the shops were powered by solar light. 

Ms Adebayo said the affected shops had already been stocked with bags of rice, frozen chicken, and turkey among several others before the fire outbreak.

“It is sad. We have stocked the shops ahead of the week for the Christmas and New Year festive periods. Many of us collected loans from the microfinance institutions for retailers to stock the shops and now are here counting our losses,” she lamented.

Another trader, Abiola Adedubaje, said she lost goods worth over four million naira to the inferno. 

Mrs Adedubaje, however, pleaded with governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to come to the aid of the traders.

She said, “Yes, it’s true we have stocked the shop with bags of rice, frozen chicken, turkey, noodles, and different staple foods, but all have now gone. We’re appealing to well-meaning Nigerians and the government to come to their aid. We need help because our families can’t even stand this.”

The Gazette could not immediately get the reaction of the Director in Charge of the Fire Service in the state. 

However, an official of the fire service who spoke on condition of anonymity blamed the fire on “poor electrical installation.”