On Wednesday, a devastating fire razed at least 14 shops at Ogundipe Market in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
Moroof Akinwande, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reform and Chairman of the State Fire Services Agency, confirmed the blaze. He revealed that the emergency call was received at 3:50 a.m., alerting authorities to the fire outbreak at the market.
Firefighters, led by CFS Olayiwola T.K., quickly mobilized and arrived at the scene to find 14 out of 42 shops engulfed in flames.
According to Akinwande, the team acted swiftly to contain the fire, preventing it from spreading to adjacent shops and minimizing further damage.
“Thankfully, there were no injuries reported. The operation was successful, and the fire service officers managed to save goods valued at billions of naira,” he stated.
He also mentioned that an investigation is currently underway to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Akinwande urged traders throughout the state to remain vigilant about fire safety and stressed the necessity of having fire extinguishers readily available in their shops to address any fire emergencies promptly.
In a separate incident on the same day, a four-bedroom apartment located at No 17, Ifesowapo Maternity, Zone 2, Ajoda in Egbeda, Ibadan, was completely destroyed by fire.
The chairman confirmed that the fire service received the distress call at precisely 12:42 a.m. and immediately dispatched a team led by ACFS Adisa Wasiu to the location.
“Upon arrival, our officers found the private residential building, which included two bathrooms, fully engulfed in flames. They acted quickly to prevent the fire from spreading to neighboring properties,” Akinwande explained.
He added, “No casualties were reported, but the fire caused losses amounting to millions of naira.”
The fire was attributed to an electrical surge caused by an unattended plugged-in device.
Akinwande advised the public to always switch off and unplug electrical appliances when not in use, especially after work hours and before going to sleep, to reduce the risk of fire outbreaks.
He also encouraged residents to promptly report any fire emergencies and provide accurate location details when contacting the fire service through the emergency numbers: 08067439223, 08054353501, or 615.
