Fire razes 14 shops in Ibadan, millions lost

A fire incident has destroyed properties worth millions of naira at Ogundipe Market, Agodi Gate, in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Eyewitnesses said the fire started in the early hours of today and quickly spread through the market before emergency responders arrived. By the time the fire was put out, 14 out of the 42 shops in the complex had been completely razed, leaving traders counting their losses.

Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Hon. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, said the emergency was reported at exactly 3:50 a.m. by a trader identified as Mr. Sulaiman. Fire service personnel, led by CFS Olayiwola T.K., immediately mobilised to the scene and launched a swift operation to contain the flames.

“On arrival, we found 14 shops well alight. We swung into action, curtailed the fire, and prevented it from spreading to other nearby shops. No lives were lost, and properties worth billions of naira were saved,” Akinwande stated.

He added that a post-incident investigation has commenced to determine the exact cause of the fire outbreak. The swift response of the firefighters was credited for averting a much bigger disaster that could have affected the entire market.

Akinwande also urged traders across the state to be more conscious of fire hazards and equip their shops with fire extinguishers to prevent future outbreaks from escalating.