By OSAGIE OTABOR, Akure

Three women who are fish sellers at the popular Oja Oba market have died after a dilapidated building collapsed on them at Arakale area of Akure.

The women were said to have been sitting under the building when it fell on them.

They were said to be hiding from a task force of the Fish Sellers Association of Nigeria.

It was gathered that some workers hired to pull down the building were at site working when it crashed on the women.

One of the victims identified as Dorcas Ajayi was said to have been hiding her wares from Union task force because she owed the sum of N1000.

Her husband who gave his name as Ajayi said his wife’s goods would have been seized which made her to hide them in the building.

He said he was working in his farm when he was called that something has happened to his wife.

Her son, Segun, described the death as a pathetic situation.

He blamed the workers carrying out demolition of the building for the death of his mother.

However, the death of the women made other fish sellers to lead a protest to the Ondo governor’s office.

The protesters demanded immediate disbandment of the Fish Sellers Association for inflicting hardship on them instead of solving their problems.

They claimed that the deceased was barred from buying her fish from any cold room in Akure because she was yet to pay her the balance N1000 fee for purchase of registration form.

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu who addressed the protesters through his Senior Special Assistant on Security Matters, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, said the state government would investigate the incident.

It was thereafter announced that the state government has ordered suspension of all activities of the Fish sellers union in the state. (The Nation)

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