By DAUD  OLATUNJI

ABEOKUTA — No fewer than 211 traders at the ancient Itoku market in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, yesterday, lost their wares to a flood that ravaged the market.

The flooding which followed a two-day rainfall that started on Wednesday affected a section with a high concentration of traders in local herbs, roots, assorted traditional relics, locally made artefacts, plants, animals, including live and dead reptiles as well as domestic creatures and other items worth millions of naira.

Narrating their ordeals, some traders, Simiatu Okunade, Ganiyat Oseni and Sadiat Ayobiojo said the daytime flooding had destroyed their means of livelihood.

A trader in beads and ornaments, Shakira Arisekola lamented that the nature of items on sale as well as the structural layout of the market were not showing the true value of the huge money invested by the traders.

Also, a traditional birth attendant, Anike Kumapayi, maintained that apart from the items washed away by the flood, the incident could also reduce the efficacy of the remaining herbs.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who visited the market to assess the extent of damage, said more structures would be demolished in the area to prevent a recurrence.

Amosun, who assured that government would reach out to affected persons to cushion the effect of their losses, expressed his readiness to sustain infrastructure development across the state.

The affected traders got donations of undisclosed amounts of money presented by the Commissioner for Works, Lekan Adegbite.

Presenting the envelopes to affected traders at the Governor’s Office, Adegbite said the governor was not happy with the situation and had ordered that compensation be paid to the affected traders.

The flooding which followed a two-day rainfall that started on Wednesday affected a section with a high concentration of traders in local herbs, roots, assorted traditional relics, locally made artefacts, plants, animals, including live and dead reptiles as well as domestic creatures and other items worth millions of naira.

Narrating their ordeals, some traders, Simiatu Okunade, Ganiyat Oseni and Sadiat Ayobiojo said the daytime flooding had destroyed their means of livelihood.

A trader in beads and ornaments, Shakira Arisekola lamented that the nature of items on sale as well as the structural layout of the market were not showing the true value of the huge money invested by the traders.

Also, a traditional birth attendant, Anike Kumapayi, maintained that apart from the items washed away by the flood, the incident could also reduce the efficacy of the remaining herbs.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who visited the market to assess the extent of damage, said more structures would be demolished in the area to prevent a recurrence.

Amosun, who assured that government would reach out to affected persons to cushion the effect of their losses, expressed his readiness to sustain infrastructure development across the state.

The affected traders got donations of undisclosed amounts of money presented by the Commissioner for Works, Lekan Adegbite.

Presenting the envelopes to affected traders at the Governor’s Office, Adegbite said the governor was not happy with the situation and had ordered that compensation be paid to the affected traders.