Hundreds of shops were destroyed in an early Monday morning fire outbreak at the popular Oranyan Market in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The fire, which reportedly started around midnight, affected several sections of the market, with traders dealing in gold, furniture, second-hand clothes and other goods among those counting their losses.
An eyewitness, simply identified as Iya Alia, said the fire started around midnight but 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 that 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 destruction as devastating.
“This is devastating. This is huge. I don’t even know how to explain it. Close to 300 shops were destroyed,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services, Morof Akinwande, said the fire reportedly started in the middle of the market following an explosion.
Akinwande, however, cautioned against giving a definite figure on the number of shops destroyed, saying a proper assessment would be carried out after the fire investigation.
He said it was yet to be established whether the explosion was caused by gas or another source.
“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 something else. 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 a.m.,” he said.
The fire service chairman added that the extent of damage to shops and goods could only be determined after a post-fire assessment.
“On the number of shops and inventory, that is too early because that’s a post-fire outbreak investigation. So, I cannot be accurate about the number of shops that were destroyed. But shops were actually gone,” he stated.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over recurring fire outbreaks in major markets across Oyo State, with traders facing huge losses and disruption of their livelihoods.
A similar fire outbreak occurred at the herbal section of Oranyan Market in 2024, when more than 200 shops were reportedly destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Acting Governor of Oyo State, Barrister Abdulraheem Adebayo Lawal, has expressed sympathy with traders and residents affected by the disaster.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the Acting Governor described the incident as a tragic setback for traders who lost their goods and means of livelihood.
He assured the victims that the state government would stand by them and work with relevant agencies to assess the extent of the damage.
According to him, emergency response teams had been deployed while immediate relief measures were being considered for those affected.
The Acting Governor also said the government would work towards restoring the market and putting preventive measures in place to reduce the risk of future fire outbreaks.
“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,” Lawal said.
He commended the Oyo State Fire Service and other security agencies for their swift response, while urging traders and residents to remain calm.
The incident occurred barely two days after another fire destroyed nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway Shopping Complex along Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.
