The traders in Gberigbe Orelade market in Imota Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have called on the local council and the leadership of the market to wade in urgently in order to forestall incessant theft of their goods and other valuables by unidentified persons. They urged the council to provide security post in the market.
While speaking with Oriwu Sun during an investigation at Imota recently, a source, who prefers to remain anonymous, said the suspected thieves usually invade the market at night to burgle shops and stalls; thereby, carting away goods and other valuables. Some of the affected traders, who spoke with Oriwu Sun, lamented the incident, which they confirmed had cost them goods worth several thousands of naira. According to them, the incident was prevalent because there was no night guard in the market.
Recounting the incident, Mrs. Bukola Olarenwaju, a foodstuffs seller whose shop was burgled, said the incident occurred on Sunday at midnight. She said that on getting to her shop on Monday, August 8, 2016, she found out that the rice, garri, beans, yam flour, palm oil and other foodstuffs in her shop had been stolen.
She put the estimate of the stolen goods at sixty thousand naira (N60,000), admitting that it had really affected her business because the thieves stole everything. The food stuff seller blamed this incident on the absence of security officers in the market, recalling that since they stopped working at night, this type of incident had become rampant. She enjoined the leadership of the market to provide adequate security.
Another trader, Miss Olushola Oyebola, who was also affected, disclosed that all the newly bought goods in her shop worth more than seventy five thousand naira (N75,000) were all stolen about a month ago. Among the goods stolen were clothes, wines, perfumes, wrist watches, necklaces and shoes. Another victim, who did not want her name in print, said she lost goods worth ten thousand as a result of the incident some weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the Iyaloja General of the market, Mrs. Bisola Yusuf, said, “I am aware of the fact that some unknown thieves have been stealing goods in the market and such cases have been reported to me. They are yet to be caught but I have taken steps to make sure that stealing is eradicated from the market
She, however, assured that some security men have started watching over the market at night, and observed that since they started work, the stealing had stopped.