A devastating fire has completely destroyed over 40 shops at the popular Oranyan market in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The incident occurred in the herbal section of the market, located in the Ibadan North East Local Government Area, on Saturday night. While no lives were lost, the fire obliterated properties and herbs worth millions of naira.
By Monday, shop owners were seen gathering in groups, lamenting their losses and expressing confusion over the cause of the inferno.
The market youth leader, Fatimoh Adebimpe, alongside other victims, including Kafaya Lucky and Kehinde Moronfade, shared their distress over the mysterious circumstances surrounding the fire.
Adebimpe, who has been working in the market since 1979, explained, “We usually operate between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm.
When the bell rings in the evening, it signals us to close for the day. Most of us had already gone home when those living close to the market called around 10:00 pm, informing us that the market was on fire.”
She continued, “We are not connected to the national grid due to local customs, so we don’t use electricity here. No food vendors were in the market at the time, leaving us in total confusion as to what could have caused the fire.
I can’t even begin to quantify what I lost—some things are too painful to list.”
Another victim, Kafaya Lucky, expressed her anguish, stating, “I kept a significant amount of money in my shop because hunters often bring animals to us. If we can’t pay them immediately, they might take their goods elsewhere. That’s why we always have cash on hand.”
Moronfade, who had recently secured a loan, described the incident as devastating. “I just got a loan on Friday, and the next day, this disaster struck. There were no signs of burning or cooking in the market. Honestly, I’m devastated.”
The General Manager of Oyo State Fire Services, Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incident, stating that the Fire Services Headquarters received an emergency call at exactly 23:25hrs.
“The fire affected 20 prefabricated shops in one of the adjoining rows. While properties worth millions of naira were lost, our efforts saved assets worth billions. Thankfully, no lives were lost,” Akinyinka reported. The fire service personnel returned to the station by 3:36hrs.
