Phones and other electronic accessories worth several million naira were, Wednesday night, destroyed by a fire outbreak at the popular Phone Market in Ilorin, Kwara State.

It was gathered that the fire incident, which broke out at about 9:00 pm at the phone village in the Challenge area, was confirmed to have been caused by a power surge.

According to a source, 10 phone shops were completely razed by the inferno.

The spokesman of the State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, in a statement on Thursday, said the prompt intervention of the firefighters prevented it from further spreading to about 190 shops and kiosks in the market.

Adekunle said: “On Wednesday, 30th April 2025, at about 21:06 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service received a distress call reporting a fire outbreak at the Challenge Phone Village, located within Challenge Market, Ilorin.

“Our fire crew promptly mobilised and arrived at the scene to find several shops engulfed in flames. The market comprises over 120 shops, 80 kiosks, and numerous stands. Through swift intervention, our team successfully curtailed the spread of the fire, limiting its impact to only 10 kiosks.

“The affected areas were primarily phone stores and repair shops. Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire was caused by a power surge.

“Traders and market stakeholders commended the Kwara State Fire Service for their rapid response and effectiveness in saving the market from widespread destruction.”