Former Minister of Power and an All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has donated N5 million to traders affected by the recent fire outbreak at Bode Market in the Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.
According to The Punch, Adelabu made the donation on Friday during a sympathy visit to the market in Ibadan, where he inspected sections destroyed by the inferno and commiserated with affected traders.
He encouraged the victims not to lose hope, urging them to remain steadfast and trust in God despite the losses.
The fire, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, July 3, 2026, destroyed goods worth millions of naira.
Adelabu also appealed to relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the incident and implement stronger fire prevention measures in major markets across Oyo State.
He said, “Market men and women are the backbone of our economy. Your interest will always be on my heart. We will continue to stand with you in times like this and ensure you get the necessary support to bounce back.
“We thank God that no life was lost in the incident. I want you to put your mind at rest. When there is life, there is hope. I was so pained when I heard about the fire incident, whatever affects you traders also affects me, because my mother is also a trader. On this note, I am donating N5 million to the affected victims.
“Humanity is part of what pushed me into politics. I want to urge the government to build fire stations across our markets to avert future occurrences like this. The government needs to do something for our markets. Traders, market men and women are very important to the existence of our dear state; they also need care, their population is more than those working at the government Secretariat.
“Government should have rebuilt this market, this market should have a fire station, pipe-borne water, Oyo State Government should have mercy on traders.”
Reacting to the donation, the Babaloja of Bode Market, Alhaji Salawu Oyakojo, and the Iyaloja of the market, Sakirat Makinde, described the fire as a tragic incident that wiped out goods worth millions of naira.
They expressed appreciation to Adelabu for his financial support and prayed for the success of his political aspirations.
Some of the affected traders recounted that they were alerted to the fire by passers-by and rushed to the market only to discover that their shops had already been consumed by the flames.
They lamented the destruction of investments built over many years and appealed to the government as well as public-spirited individuals to assist them in rebuilding their businesses.
