MYSTERY FIRE GUTS SHOP, DESTROYS N1.5M PROPERTY

By NBF News

A housewife, Mrs. Olubunmi Akinsanya, 40, is now counting her losses, after mysterious fire gutted her shop, destroying property worth over N1.5 million. The incident, which occurred at 18, Alake Street, Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has left her in distress.

Daily Sun gathered that when she sighted the debris of what used to be her personal property, the proprietress of BUM STAR Restaurant, collapsed and was in coma for seven days, before she was revived.

Recalling the ugly incident after regaining consciousness, the victim narrated how she closed her shop on that fateful April 5, 2010, at about 11 pm, after the day's business.

According to her, at about 2 am, her neighbours noticed the fire, which affected only her shop, leaving out others in the same building. They were said to have quickly contacted the fire fighters, who later came to put out the fire but not until all her property, which included, four deep freezers, 18 inches TV set, 12 dozens of chair, 18 pieces of plastic tables, cartons of beer, spirit, other assorted drinks and food stuffs, worth over N500,000, had gone up in flames.

Ironically, among the things kept inside the shop were, two 25 litres jerrycans, filled with petrol, which were not affected by the raging fire. The victim, who said she suspected a foul play, also narrated her experience since she rented the shop from a woman she described as her friend. According to her, her landlady had been at loggerhead with one of her sisters over the ownership of the property.

Mrs. Akinsanya said she had always told her to vacate the shop for her, saying she wanted to use it for the same purpose, a matter which had dragged on for several months, resulting in series of verbal attack, between them. Mrs. Akinsanya also recalled how armed robbers invaded her shop several times, sparing other shops in the same building.

Her husband, Chief Amos Akinsanya, told Daily Sun disclosed that the Abeokuta South Local Government, which was contacted through their Councillor, representing the area, had waded into the matter, and had promised to compensate for part of the losses incurred by his wife.

Chief Akinsanya also spoke of the 'spiritual cleansing' being carried out at the shop to guard against future occurrences, while appealing to the Abeokuta South Local Government to make good its promise to assist her wife