An early morning fire has devastated the Oja Agbe (Farmers Market) in Ibadan, Oyo State, resulting in losses amounting to millions of naira.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Monday at the market located in the Moniya Garage area of Akinyele local government. Preliminary investigations suggest that the blaze may have been caused by unattended electrical appliances.
Fortunately, firefighters from the Oyo State Fire Service responded quickly, preventing the flames from spreading further.
“Upon receiving reports of the fire at 00:27 hours, our personnel were promptly deployed to the scene," said Mr. Yemi Akinyinka, General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Agency. "Upon arrival, we found rows of shops, including container shops, engulfed in flames. Our team swiftly took action to contain the fire and managed to limit its spread, saving billions of naira worth of property. Thankfully, no lives were lost.”
Despite the tragic loss of property, Akinyinka emphasized the importance of fire safety, urging residents to exercise caution when using electrical devices to prevent similar incidents in the future. "The remote cause of this fire has been linked to plugged-in electrical appliances that were left unattended," he added.
