BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – A devastating midnight inferno has razed hundreds of shops at the popular Oranyan Market in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State, destroying goods worth several millions of Naira.
The early Monday morning blaze ripped through multiple sections of the bustling commercial hub, trapping traders and residents in a race against time as flames engulfed and ravaged property within the area.
The fire, which broke out around midnight, rapidly spread across the market complex, reducing vibrant trade zones to ashes and among the hardest-hit areas were sections dedicated to gold, furniture, and second-hand clothing.
Reports indicated that the unfortunate fire incident left business owners watching helplessly as their livelihoods crumbled before the dawn, even as an eyewitness, who couldn’t give the exact time the fire started, put the number of shops razed at more than 200.
He claimed, “The fire started around midnight. I cannot be specific about that time. Those affected were gold sellers, furniture sellers, second-hand clothes sellers and many others”.
According to available information, this latest incident is described as very devastating, with the scale of destruction quite difficult to comprehend and confirmation came from the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services, Morof Akinwande, who lamented the grave magnitude of the unfortunate occurrence.
However, he cautioned against putting a number on the shops destroyed at this stage, saying an assessment of the damage would only be possible after an investigation on the incident.
Hinting that the fire reportedly started in the middle of the market following an explosion, Akinwande said it was yet to be established whether the explosion was caused by gas or another source, adding that the situation was brought under control around 1am, preventing the fire from spreading further to other areas around the vicinity.
Responding to enquiries from some reporters, Akinwande said: “Yes, it occurred. That number we cannot ascertain, but what is known is that some shops were destroyed and the fire incident started in the middle of the market with an explosion.
“Whether it’s a gas explosion or other things. And when you have a gas explosion, it would spread, but as I am talking to you, the situation has been under control since 1 am. On the number of shops and inventory, that is too early because that’s post-fire outbreak investigation. So, I cannot be accurate about the number of shops that were destroyed. But shops were actually gone.”
This fresh blaze reignites deep-seated concerns over the relentless wave of market infernos tearing through the state, leaving everyday traders trapped in a cruel cycle of watching their life savings and livelihoods turn to ash.
The latest inferno marks the second major blaze to strike Ibadan’s commercial hubs in just 48 hours, following a devastating fire that gutted nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway Shopping Complex located along the popular Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State.
As the city reels from these back-to-back tragedies, the Oyo State Fire Agency (OYSFA) has launched an urgent investigation to pinpoint the cause of the latest outbreak.
This string of disasters echoes a grim history for local traders as a nearly identical catastrophe ripped through the herbal section of Oranyan Market, completely reducing more than 200 shops to ash in year 2024.
