A fire outbreak has destroyed 15 shops and partially damaged 25 others at Bodija foodstuffs market in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, reportedly affected 40 shops in a row of 44, leaving traders counting losses estimated at millions of naira.
The fire was said to have started in one of the shops before spreading to neighbouring businesses, causing panic and distress among traders.
The Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency and Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform, Dr Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, confirmed the incident in a statement, expressing sympathy with the traders whose businesses were affected.
He attributed the suspected cause of the outbreak to an electrical fault in one of the shops.
According to him, firefighters responded promptly to the emergency and prevented the flames from spreading to other parts of the market.
Akinwande said the firefighting team, led by Assistant Chief Fire Superintendent Bamidele, arrived at the scene and immediately began efforts to contain the blaze.
He explained that “fifteen (15) out of a row of forty-four (44) shops had been engulfed by flames and thick smoke billowing from the affected premises.”
The fire service chief added that the team successfully brought the situation under control, preventing further damage beyond the area already affected.
Following the incident, Akinwande urged traders and residents to take fire prevention seriously, particularly by ensuring that electrical installations in their buildings were safe.
He also advised business owners and households to install functional fire extinguishers and maintain them regularly.
He stressed that having accessible and properly maintained fire extinguishers could help people respond to fire outbreaks early and prevent them from escalating into major disasters.
