Acting governor sympathises with victims

Hundreds of shops were destroyed in an early Monday morning fire that swept through parts of the popular Oranyan Market in Ibadan North-East Local Council of Oyo State.

The fire, which reportedly started around midnight, affected several sections of the market, destroying shops where traders sold gold, furniture, second-hand clothing and other goods.

An eyewitness, identified simply as Iya Alia, said the fire started around midnight, although she could not give the exact time.

She estimated that nearly 300 shops might have been affected by the inferno.

“The fire started around midnight. I cannot be specific about the time. Those affected were gold sellers, furniture sellers, second-hand clothes sellers and many others. The shops affected were almost 300,” she said.

Another eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the incident as devastating, saying the extent of the destruction was difficult to comprehend.

“This is devastating. This is huge. I don’t even know how to explain it. Close to 300 shops were destroyed,” the eyewitness said.

However, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Morof Akinwande, cautioned against putting a figure on the number of shops destroyed before a proper assessment.

Akinwande, who confirmed the incident yesterday, said the fire reportedly started in the middle of the market following an explosion.

He said it was too early to determine whether the explosion was caused by a gas leak or another source, adding that the fire was brought under control by 1 a.m., preventing it from spreading to other parts of the market.

He said: “Yes, it occurred. That number we cannot ascertain, but what is known is that some shops were destroyed. The fire incident started in the middle of the market with an explosion.

“Whether it was a gas explosion or something else is yet to be determined. When you have a gas explosion, it can spread, but as I am talking to you, the situation has been under control since 1:00 a.m.

“On the number of shops and inventory, that is too early because that is part of the post-fire outbreak investigation. So, I cannot be accurate about the number of shops that were destroyed. But shops were actually gone.”

The latest incident has renewed concerns over recurring fire outbreaks in major markets across Oyo State, where traders frequently lose shops, goods and sources of livelihood to fire disasters.

A similar fire outbreak occurred in the herbal section of Oranyan Market in 2024, when more than 200 shops were reportedly destroyed.

The latest incident also came barely two days after fire destroyed nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway Shopping Complex along Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan South-West Local Council of the state.

Meanwhile, the Acting Governor of Oyo State, Abdulraheem Adebayo Lawal, has sympathised with traders and residents affected by the fire outbreak at the Oranyan Market in Ibadan.

Lawal, in a statement issued on Monday, described the incident as a tragic loss that had disrupted the livelihoods of traders and subjected affected families to hardship.

He assured the victims that the state government would support them during the difficult period, adding that emergency response teams had been deployed to assess the extent of the damage.

The Acting Governor also said the government was putting immediate relief measures in place for those affected, while working towards restoring the market and preventing similar incidents in the future.

He lauded the Oyo State Fire Service and other security agencies for their prompt response to the fire and urged traders and residents to remain calm and hopeful.

Lawal said: “I received with deep sadness the news of the fire outbreak that occurred at Oranyan Market, Ibadan.

“This unfortunate incident has caused untold hardship to our hardworking traders who lost their goods and means of livelihood in the inferno.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Oyo State, I extend heartfelt sympathy to all affected traders, their families, and the entire Oranyan Market community. We share in your pain and stand with you in this difficult time.

“The State Government is already working closely with relevant emergency agencies to assess the extent of the damage and provide immediate relief to victims.

“Beyond emergency support, we are committed to putting in place measures that will help restore the market and prevent future occurrences.

“We commend the swift response of the fire service and security agencies, and we urge our traders to remain calm and hopeful.”