Fire guts shops in Oyo

File photo: Oyo State map

A fire incident on Saturday razed nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway shopping complex, located along the popular Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State.

According to findings by The PUNCH, goods, household items and other properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in the inferno.

It was further gathered that the fire started around 5 am on Saturday and caused damage before firefighters were alerted.

One of the affected traders, Busari Olayemi, told newsmen that people living around Quarters 4 alerted the shop owners to the fire around 6 am.

Olayemi, who runs an interior decoration business with his partner, Adebola Adeniyi, said, “The fire destroyed products worth about N21 million, including window blinds, curtain fabrics, industrial sewing machines and other equipment.

“What happened here destroyed a lot of things. Our customers’ fabrics were burnt; you can see them over there. Our industrial sewing machines and tools were burnt right there,” one of the affected shop owners lamented.

Confirming the incident in a statement released in Ibadan, the state capital, on Saturday, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande, said, “The fire incident was reported at exactly 05:58 am through a telephone call from Taofeek, who alerted the agency to a fire outbreak at shops within the complex.

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“The firefighting crew, led by Chief Fire Superintendent Adesina, promptly mobilised to the scene. Upon arrival, the crew discovered that nine locked-up shops, out of several shops within the complex, were engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing from the affected premises.

“The crew immediately commenced firefighting operations and called for reinforcement. A second fire truck with a 10,000-litre water capacity was subsequently deployed to the scene.

“Through the combined efforts of the firefighting crews, the fire was brought under control and completely extinguished within a short period, thereby preventing its spread to adjoining shops and properties.

“No casualty was recorded. Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was suspected to have been caused by an electrical surge, which ignited combustible materials within the affected shops,” he said.

Akinwande, therefore, urged members of the public to remain vigilant and fire-conscious at all times.

The PUNCH reports that over 40 shops were ravaged by fire at the popular Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

The incident, which occurred around 10:15 pm, left traders at the market counting their losses as of Wednesday, March 12, 2025.