A midnight fire has destroyed several shops at the
popular Oranyan Market in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The inferno reportedly started around midnight on
Monday, with traders dealing in gold, furniture, second-hand clothing and other
goods among those affected.
Unconfirmed reports suggested that more than 200 shops
may have been destroyed, although the Oyo State Fire Services said it was too
early to determine the exact number.
The Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire
Reforms and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services, Morof Akinwande, confirmed
the incident.
Akinwande said the fire reportedly started in the
middle of the market following an explosion. He explained that it was yet to be
established whether the explosion was caused by gas or another source.
According to him, firefighters brought the situation
under control by about 1am, preventing the flames from spreading to other
sections of the market.
“On the number of shops and inventory, that is too
early because that’s post-fire outbreak investigation,” Akinwande said.
He added that while some shops were confirmed to have
been destroyed, authorities would conduct a detailed assessment before
providing an accurate figure.
The incident has renewed concerns over fire outbreaks
in major markets across Ibadan, particularly because traders often have large
amounts of merchandise and investments stored in their shops.
Oranyan Market was also affected by a major fire in
2024, when more than 200 shops in its herbal section were reportedly destroyed.
The latest incident occurred barely two days after
another fire destroyed nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway Shopping
Complex near Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan South-West.
The Oyo State Fire Agency has commenced an
investigation to determine the cause of the Oranyan Market fire.
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