Nollywood actress, Nkiru Umeh has narrated her ordeal with Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo Olu, after the explosion that rocked Abule-Ado area of the state.
KanyiDaily had reported how the explosion killed 23 persons, including the Administrator and some workers of the Bethlehem Girls College, and also destroyed over 60 buildings on Sunday morning, March 15, 2020.
Lagos State Government had visited the scene of the explosion the following day, and launched a N2 billion relief fund for the victims’ families.
On April 23, 2020, the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat announced the presentation of the cheques to the families of the 23 victims.
Taking to her Instagram page on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Nkiru Umeh shared devastating photos of her booming empire, AngelNikky’s beauty complex, which was razed down by the Abule Ado gas explosion in 2020.
The actress revealed that she lost properties worth N300 million, and the N2.5 million promised by Governor Sanwo-Olu to the victims of the explosion is yet to be received.
Nkiru also noted how the government officials sold the debris of their razed properties, asking her husband to pay a certain amount for them to have access to their debris.
She wrote, “15-03-2020 to 15-03-2023 dear Governor @jidesanwoolu today marks exactly 3 years hundreds of families lost their properties and some lost loved ones at the Abule ado explosion.
“On this day 3 years ago, my family recorded a loss of over N300m worth of properties and goods. Lives were lost. Properties worth hundreds of millions lost. You visited the sight. Took pictures and made promises that remain unfulfilled till this day.
“Politicians from different states and positions turned the sight to a studio for photoshoots, making empty promises. Traumatizing and harrassing the already traumatized residents with their sirens and excorts.
[iirp]
“Lagos state gave 2.5m to families that lost lives🙂Miraculously, my family lost no life. But in worth of properties, after Bethlehem College, my family recorded the highest loss as everything both in my house and my beauty complex burnt to ashes with no pin saved.
“I do not live in Abule ado nor have my business there anymore, but I still have friends there. I am still recovering from that huge setback. I fought and refused to give up and started my business again from scratch without any assistance from the government.
“@jidesanwolu, are you expecting votes from the heart broken residents of Abule ado Festac? The wickedness was so bad that even the debris from the buildings were sold by the government, and the owners of these buildings were not allowed to make a dime from the debris of their own buildings.
“In fact, my husband was told to pay a huge amount of money for them to leave the debris and rods from our own house for us to sell. Yes, it was that bad. On this day, 15th of March 2020, my family lost everything called property and was left with just the clothes on our body.
“How can I forget the day my family miraculously escaped death? The day I lost all my neighbours at home😪😪 May their souls continue to Rest In Peace 🙏
“The day I lost my newly built beauty complex/fashion house with everything in it. Lost my cosmetics goods worth over N50m. It’s exactly 3 years today. 15th of March 2020- 15th of March 2023. @jidesanwoolu, you promised to come through, but you did not.
“Covid lockdown came right after that explosion. People were homeless on lockdown. @jidesanwoolu It was traumatizing and depressing. I hope it’s not too late to right these wrongs.
“Yes, NNPC negligence caused the explosion, but it happened in this lagos state that you govern, which was the reason you visited first. You made promises but didn’t keep to it.We saw hell, and hearts are still broken. #15thmarch2020abuleadocannotforget.
KanyiDaily recalls that BBC Africa Eye had revealed that the Abule-Ado explosion was caused by too much pressure caused by the weight of a heavily laden truck that rested on NNPC gas pipeline.