Fire guts Akinola Market in Osun, destroys goods worth millions

A late-night fire swept through Ipetumodu’s well-known weekly marketplace, Akinola Market, on Friday and destroyed goods valued at millions.

The fire reportedly started in the area where yams are kept.

Many traders, who had closed for the day hours earlier, rushed back to the scene in distress after receiving news of the fire.

“I was called late on Friday. I had left the market about four hours earlier. The part affected is the stalls where yam sellers usually keep their produce. Those who contacted us also informed NSCDC operatives, and they responded. But the destruction was massive,” a trader said.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) confirmed the incident on Saturday, attributing the fire to negligence during waste disposal.

NSCDC’s spokesperson, Kehinde Adeleke, explained that the fire likely started from refuse burning.

Adeleke said, “Akinola Market in Ipetumodu was gutted by a late-night fire on Friday, 10th January 2025. The fire broke out in a section of the market where foodstuffs, particularly yams, were being sold.

“Properties and foodstuffs worth millions of naira were destroyed. Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire started from refuse set ablaze by yet-to-be-identified individuals after the close of business on Friday.

“Akinola Market is a weekly market held every Friday. After the last market day, traders collected their refuse for burning but negligently left the fire unextinguished before heading home, which led to the inferno. Upon receiving a distress call, we immediately deployed operatives to the scene.”