Shops, goods destroyed as fire guts popular market in Kwara

Property and goods worth several millions of naira were yesterday destroyed in a fire outbreak at the popular Owode market in Offa, Kwara State.

The Guardian learnt that the fire started at about 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday from the Sunniaba area of the market and engulfed several shops.

Eyewitness accounts and video footage captured the sad incident, with a distraught woman heard in Yoruba language saying: “This fire is too much, this is not as a result of an electricity surge at all, probably they are cooking around the place.”

It was gathered that about 50 shops were burnt in the inferno, while the bustling commercial hub housing 3,820 shops and 1,180 stands suffered minimal damage.

Some female traders were also seen running around while their sources of livelihood went up in flames.

A source from the town said the fire was eventually put out by personnel of the Federal Fire Service and Kwara State Fire Service.

The state fire service, while confirming the incident, said that goods, especially foodstuff, charcoal and fairly used clothes, worth several millions of naira, were lost to the inferno.

According to the head of department, media and publicity of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, the fire was sparked by a cigarette butt carelessly dropped, which ignited combustible materials.

The state fire service said: “In a commendable display of promptness and efficiency, the Kwara State Fire Service swiftly responded to a devastating fire outbreak at Owode Market in Offa Local Government Area in the early hours of Tuesday, April 2.

“Upon receiving the distress call at approximately 02:30 hours, a team led by ACF Oyeyipo James, immediately sprang into action.

“Arriving at the scene, they were met with a harrowing sight – numerous shops ablaze, with federal firefighting counterparts already engaged in combating the fire.”

The Iyaloja-general Offa, Alhaja Idiat Jumoke, who commended the fire services for putting out the fire on time, called on the government to provide them with palliatives before rebuilding the stalls.