F!re Destroys Goods Worth Millions As Inferno Ravages Eight Shops In Ibadan Market

Goods and household items worth millions of naira have been destroyed after a fire swept through parts of Gbaji Market in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The incident occurred on Thursday night at the market, located along the Ibadan-Ife Expressway, with at least eight shops reportedly affected by the inferno.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Hon. Maroof Akinwande, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday morning. He disclosed that no lives were lost in the fire.

Akinwande explained that firefighters arrived at the scene to find several shops already engulfed in flames, with thick smoke spreading across the affected section of the market.

He said the swift response of the fire service prevented the blaze from spreading to other parts of the market, thereby limiting the extent of the destruction.

However, the fire service chairman identified illegal structures and goods obstructing access roads within the market as major challenges encountered by the firefighting team.

According to him, the obstructions made it difficult for firefighting trucks to gain unrestricted access to the affected shops, complicating efforts to tackle the inferno.

Although the agency successfully prevented further spread of the fire, the incident left traders counting their losses following the destruction of goods and other property in the affected shops.