Goods, equipment, and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in a fire that ravaged five shops in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday.

The incident occurred beside the Olowo-Ifon Shopping Complex at Orita Challenge. Out of eleven affected shops, five were completely destroyed, while some others were partially salvaged.

The Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the agency was informed about the fire at around 2:24 a.m. He said the cause of the fire was traced to an electrical surge.

He stated, “On Wednesday, 9th July 2025, at exactly 02:24 hours, the incident was reported via a telephone call. The agency’s personnel, led by CFS Adesina Olusoji, promptly mobilised to the scene. On arrival, we found the shops engulfed in flames.

“We quickly swung into action and prevented the fire from spreading to nearby unaffected shops and the adjoining shopping complex. The fire was completely extinguished, and fire safety advice was given to the public on how to prevent future incidents.

“The fire affected five out of eleven shops, but our personnel were able to save properties worth millions of naira. The incident was traced to an electrical surge that ignited nearby combustible materials, which in turn set the shops ablaze.”