A fire outbreak in Oyo State has destroyed nine shops at the Railway Shopping Complex, Leak Road, Aleshinloye Market, Ibadan, while a separate inferno in Yobe State killed a mother and her three children.

The outbreak also left members of a Fulani community homeless.

In Ibadan, the fire, which occurred on Saturday, was suspected to have been caused by an electrical surge that ignited combustible materials in the locked-up shops.

The Oyo State Fire Services Agency said the incident was reported at about 5:58 a.m. through a telephone call from a man identified as Taofeek.

A firefighting crew led by a Chief Fire Superintendent was immediately mobilised to the scene, where nine shops were found engulfed in flames and thick smoke.

The agency said the firefighters began operations immediately and called for reinforcement.

A second fire truck with a 10,000-litre water capacity was subsequently deployed to the scene.

The combined efforts of the firefighters brought the blaze under control and completely extinguished it before it could spread to adjoining shops and properties.

No casualty was recorded in the Ibadan incident.

Following the outbreak, the Officer-in-Charge of the firefighting operation sensitised members of the public on fire safety and urged residents to provide accurate information when reporting emergencies to enable firefighters to respond promptly.

The Special Adviser on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Dr Moroof Akinwande, also urged residents to remain vigilant and fire-conscious.

He advised owners of homes and business premises to install and maintain functional fire extinguishers to enable them to tackle fires at their early stages.

Relatedly, tragedy struck the Rugar Audu Badali Fulani community in Karasuwa Local Council of Yobe State on Friday when a fire claimed the lives of a mother and her three children.

The incident occurred at about 5:00p.m. on August 21, 2026, destroying the community and leaving several survivors, including women and children, without shelter.

The victims were identified as Bilkisu, wife of Mallam Bukar, and their three children, Zainab, Hafsat and Salamatu.

The bodies were reportedly buried according to Islamic rites.

The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) responded by deploying a rescue and assessment team to the affected community on Saturday morning.

SEMA Director of Operations, Mohammed Jalo, said the agency’s team, working with officials of Karasuwa Local Council and community stakeholders, conducted an on-site assessment of the disaster.

He said the assessment documented the destruction of residential structures and household belongings, while officials also met with the bereaved family and other affected residents to determine their immediate needs.

According to Jalo, the assessment identified urgent needs for emergency relief materials, temporary shelter and psychosocial support for the displaced survivors.

He said SEMA and its partners conveyed their condolences to Mallam Bukar and his surviving relatives and reaffirmed their commitment to mobilising resources and coordinating timely humanitarian assistance.

The agency also appealed for collective efforts to prevent similar fire disasters from recurring in communities across the state.