Traders lament as fire destroys 40 shops in Oyo State

Traders in a well-known market in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, bemoaned their losses on Monday after a fire incident entirely destroyed over 40 of their shops.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday at the well-known Oranyan Market’s herbal sector in the Ibadan North East Local Government Area of the State, damaged multimillion-naira property and herbs, even though no lives were lost.

Punch Metro saw the store owners in various groups, clenching their teeth over the regrettable event, when they visited the market on Monday.

Nobody could identify what led to the inferno.

Some of the victims, Fatimoh Adebimpe (the market youth leader); Kafaya Lucky, and Kehinde Moronfade, lamented that the cause of the fire incident was still sketchy as no single food vendor was in the market when it began.

Adebimpe, who said she had been in the market since 1979, lamented, “We normally resume here around 7.00 am and close by 7.00 pm as well. Whenever they ring a bell or you hear the sound of a bell in the evening, you must take your leave. So, some of us were already at our different homes when those living close to the market started calling us around 10.0pm that the market was on fire.

“What could have caused this? We are not connected to the national grid, because it’s a taboo. We are not using electricity. Nobody is selling food here. So, we are still in total confusion.

“I cannot say this is what I lost in that fire. I just bought some things like full tiger skin; and many other things I may not want in the paper.

“Though the local government officials who control this area were here this morning (Monday), they promised to do something. We are hopeful.”

Another victim, Lucky, said, “I have a lot of money in the shop. The reason why we always keep money there is because of hunters who normally bring different animals for us.

“If you are unable to pay immediately, they may take it to another person. Forget whether he is your customer. So, you must always have money with you. That’s why we are keeping money in the shops.”

Moronfade said, “I just got a loan on Friday, and this disaster happened the next day. It’s so pathetic. No traces of burning or cooking in the market. Honestly, I’m devastated.”

Confirming the incident to our correspondent on Monday, the General Manager of the state fire service, Yemi Akinyinka, said the headquarters received a fire emergency call at exactly 23:25hrs on the incident.

He said, “The incident affected 20 prefabricated shops out of multiple adjourning rows of shops.

“The property worth millions of naira was affected, while property worth billions of naira was saved, but no life was lost. Our personnel returned to the station at exactly 3:36hrs.”

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