Numerous victims of a tanker fire event in Ibadan’s Apata neighborhood, the capital of Oyo State, claim they were mistreated.
The victims revealed this information on Thursday during a demonstration in Ibadan.
A petrol tanker recently burned in Apata after losing control, as reported by kuryaloaded.
It was learned that the incident on December 15, 2022, resulted in the burning of various homes and businesses.
A kuryaloaded writer discovered that Governor Seyi Makinde announced an amount of N10m as a palliative for the affected businesses when he visited the region a few hours after the tragedy.
The affected persons demanded assistance from Gov. Makinde during a protest on Thursday, alleging that the incorrect people had collected the money.
The victims, carrying banners with various messages, stormed the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, secretariat on Thursday in Iyaganku, Ibadan. Others claimed they received minimal financial portions, while they alleged they were marginalized.
When the funds were released, the list of recipients, in their estimation, increased to more than 70 from the initial 45.
They further asserted that the recipients list was then altered to include those who were unaffected, and that the four representatives allocated the majority of the funds to themselves.
Adunni Olasunkanmi, one of the victims, claimed that although the house she resided in and housed her belongings was burned, she was only granted a payment of 100,000 naira.
She claimed that many people who weren’t impacted received big financial gifts.
My name is Olasunkanmi Adunni, and I am a victim of the fire who sells bread and other necessities. The governor pledged to provide us N10 million as a relief fund on the first day he went to the accident site, and later his agents gave the money to us.
“The list originally contained 45 names, but sadly, it grew as more who were unaffected were added. The newest beneficiaries are unknown to us. Only by sheer chance did I and my four children escape the burning down home where I lived and stored my belongings.
“Initially, I was supposed to receive N500,000, but I only received N100,000,” the claimant said. Aminat Bamidele, who was not one of the impacted traders and did not suffer any losses as a result of the fire, received N300,000. N200,000 was given to someone who claimed to be a shoemaker. The fire caused me to lose stuff valued over N12 million.
Temilade Makinde, a different protestor whose store was destroyed in the fire, claimed she was promised N500,000 but only received N60,000.
She encouraged Gov. Makinde to look into how the money was spent.
“I loaded the store with N1.3 million worth of food a day before the fire event, but everything is destroyed, including the structure that housed the store. I was supposed to receive N500,000 in compensation, but after the list was altered, I only received N60,000. We request the governor to look into the money’s distribution and recover the victims’ money from fraudsters, the woman stated.
