Angry traditional worshippers from “Ayelala Diety” Monday marched through the burnt Ekiosa market in Benin City, Edo State capital to rained curses on suspected arsonist.
The traditionalist who wore red regalia also rained curse of persons believed to have taking advantage of the raging fire on Sunday to loot shops.
The Ayelala worshippers were heard saying; “If this inferno occurred other than natural cause, anyone responsible for it; including looters would be visited with dire consequences.”
A midday fire on Sunday swept through the market and burnt over 500 shops.
The inferno which lasted for several hours destroyed goods worth millions of naira and thereafter spread to nearby Edo Development Property Authority (EDPA).
The fire also consumed a section of the tall building housing the development agency.
This was even as Governor Godwin Obaseki attributed the inferno to the handiwork of suspected arsonists, “working in cohorts with unscrupulous politicians under the aegis of the disbanded Edo Peoples Movement (EPM).”
Obaseki who led members of the State executive council to inspect the extent of damage in the market alleged that the arsonist aim was to sabotage markets in Benin metropolis and the state government.
The governor therefore approved the release of N100 million to compensate traders whose goods were destroyed in the fire incident.
He noted that it was unfortunate that different markets in the state have been gutted by fire within a short period.
According to him, intelligence reports indicated that some people who are disgruntled over his reforms and programmes targeted at improving the welfare of the people, were behind the recent infernos in markets.
The governor decried the new dimension of fire incidents in the state, where these suspected arsonists, prevent firefighters from gaining access to markets being gutted by fire.
