Goods, household items and other valuables were destroyed on Monday evening when a fire outbreak razed several shops at Ogunpa Market in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The incident occurred at the Iya Maryam Adebara Complex, Rounda area of the popular market, causing panic among traders before emergency responders brought the situation under control.
At least 10 shops were affected by the inferno, according to findings by our correspondent.
READ ALSO: PDP Sets Up Caretaker Committee to Manage Abia State Affairs
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Hon. Maroof Akinwande, said a prompt rescue operation was carried out by firefighters with support from the Federal Fire Service.
In a statement made available on Tuesday, Akinwande said fire service officials arrived to find several shops already engulfed in flames but acted swiftly to prevent the fire from spreading further.
“Upon arrival, we met ten shops out of several shops in the market engulfed by flames. Our officers immediately swung into action and prevented the fire from spreading to other shops and nearby properties,” he said.
He added that personnel of the Federal Fire Service joined the operation, helping to successfully extinguish the fire.
Akinwande disclosed that no casualty was recorded during the incident, attributing the cause of the fire to the fueling of a generator while it was still running by one of the shop occupants.
While some goods were destroyed, he noted that the quick intervention of firefighters saved properties worth billions of naira.
The fire service boss advised traders and residents to observe safety precautions, particularly when handling generators and flammable materials, to prevent similar incidents in the future.
