Fire outbreak: Phone accessories dealer commits suicide in Kogi

Two months after inferno ravaged the popularly GSM village in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, one of the traders, identified as Friday Ajeka, who lost all his goods, has committed suicide.

We earlier reported that properties worth millions of naira were destroyed following a fire outbreak at the GSM village around Kpata market in Lokoja on September 12, 2024.

The deceased, 32-year-old indigene of Ofu Local Government Area, was said to have committed suicide by hanging on 26th October, 2024, owing to a loan he collected from a bank.

Those affected by the fire outbreak had waited patiently hoping that the State Government would support them in rebuilding the GSM village, but to no avail.

As of the time of filing this report, many of the victims, according to a source, are facing one health challenge or the other.

Meanwhile, the operators of the Lokoja GSM Village, have once again made an appeal to Gov. Usman Ahmed Ododo to come to their aid.

Governor Ododo in September gave the assurance to help support the victims when he visited the scene of the fire incident to assess the level of damage caused by the fire outbreak.

The Governor described the extent of the damage as a worrisome development, promising to ensure that owners of businesses and other victims of the fire outbreak were supported to bounce back.

The GSM village provided sources of living for several youths and women in the state.

One of the operators, Murtala Mohammed, appealed to Governor Ododo to quickly come to their aid.

He said many of them have fallen sick owing to the loss of their means of livelihood.

"Some of us have families with wives and children. As we speak, we are losing our dignity, as we can no longer fend for our family as breadwinners.

"We are therefore using this medium to call on Gov. Ododo to come to our rescue.

"While we believe that his busy schedule is what has made him forget us, we are using this medium to remind him to come to our aid as we are losing lives of members daily," he told DAILY POST.