Nigerian politician, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, visited the Akere Olodi spare parts market in the Apapa area of Lagos state, which had been gutted by a mysterious fire earlier that day. The fire destroyed goods worth millions of naira and there are speculations that it was an arson attack as a dead body was recovered at the scene, suspected to have died from a gunshot wound as he did not suffer any burn injuries.
However, barely 24 hours after the tragic incident, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who is the Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos state, paid a visit to the market to assess the damage and donate N15 million to the traders who lost their goods to the fire. He also promised to rebuild the market if he is elected as governor.
In a video shared on Twitter, Rhodes-Vivour expressed his sadness over the incident and urged the people of Ajegunle not to be intimidated by political violence. He said, "Our politics should be about ideas, not violence. Ajegunle people, do not be intimidated. We will rebuild together."
The gesture by Rhodes-Vivour has been applauded by many Nigerians who see it as a show of leadership and empathy for the affected traders. The video of his visit and donation has also gone viral on social media, with many people sharing it as a model of what politicians should do in times of crisis.
