Properties worth millions of naira were destroyed on Wednesday after a fire outbreak at Ogundipe Market, Agodi Gate, in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the day, razed 14 out of the 42 shops in the market complex, leaving traders counting heavy losses.
Confirming the development, the Special Adviser on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Fire Services Agency, Hon. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, said no lives were lost in the incident.
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According to him, the fire service received a distress call at about 3:50 a.m. from a resident identified as Mr. Sulaiman. Firefighters, led by CFS Olayiwola T.K., were immediately deployed to the scene.
“Upon arrival, we found 14 shops out of 42 engulfed in flames. Our personnel quickly swung into action, curtailed the fire, and prevented it from spreading to other nearby shops. No casualty was recorded.
“Properties worth billions were saved by the swift response of the fire service. Investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the outbreak,” he said.
Hon. Akinwande urged traders across the state to take fire safety seriously by keeping extinguishers in their shops to prevent small outbreaks from escalating into disasters.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over recurring fire outbreaks in markets within Ibadan and other parts of the state.