A devastating fire broke out late Saturday night at the Oranyan Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, completely destroying more than 40 shops in the herbal section.
According to The PUNCH, despite the extensive damage to property, no lives were lost in the blaze, which occurred in the Ibadan North East Local Government Area.
The cause of the fire remains unclear, leaving traders in shock and confusion. Market youth leader Fatimoh Adebimpe, who has been a trader at the market since 1979, expressed her dismay.
“We normally resume here around 7 a.m. and close by 7 p.m.,” she explained. “Some of us were already at our different homes when those living close to the market started calling us around 10 p.m., saying the market was on fire.”
Adebimpe further mentioned that the market does not have a connection to the national electricity grid, as it is considered a taboo, and there are no food vendors present. “What could have caused this?” she wondered. “We are not using electricity. Nobody is selling food here. So, we are still in total confusion.”
The fire caused significant financial losses to traders, many of whom lost valuable goods and traditional herbs.
Adebimpe noted, “I cannot say this is what I lost in that fire. I just bought some things like full tiger skin and many other things that I may not want in the paper.”
Local government officials visited the scene the following Monday and promised to investigate the incident and provide support to those affected. “We are hopeful,” Adebimpe added.
Yemi Akinyinka, the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Services, confirmed that they received an emergency call regarding the fire at 11:25 p.m. on Saturday
“The incident affected 20 prefabricated shops out of multiple adjoining rows of shops,” Akinyinka said. “Property worth millions of naira was affected, while property worth billions of naira was saved. Thankfully, no lives were lost.”
Firefighters managed to control the blaze, returning to their station by 3:36 a.m. on Sunday. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
