By Adeola Badru
A fire outbreak has razed 15 shops and partially damaged 25 others at the popular Bodija foodstuffs market in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, leaving traders with losses estimated at millions of naira.
The inferno, which occurred on Monday, affected a row of 44 shops, with 15 completely razed and 25 others partially damaged.
The incident reportedly started in one of the shops before spreading to adjoining premises, throwing affected traders into distress.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Dr Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, expressed concern over the damage and sympathised with the affected traders.
Akinwande attributed the outbreak to a suspected fault in the electrical wiring of one of the shops, adding that the prompt response of firefighters helped prevent the flames from spreading further.
Giving an account of the incident, he said the firefighting crew, led by Assistant Chief Fire Superintendent Bamidele, promptly mobilised to the scene.
“On arrival, the crew discovered that fifteen (15) out of a row of forty-four (44) shops had been engulfed by flames and thick smoke billowing from the affected premises.
“The firefighters immediately commenced firefighting operations and successfully brought the fire under control, preventing it from spreading beyond where the fire was met,” he said.
Akinwande said the suspected cause of the fire was an electrical fault, warning traders and residents to take precautionary measures to prevent similar incidents.
He stressed the importance of installing functional fire extinguishers in commercial buildings, shops and homes, as well as ensuring their regular maintenance.
The fire service chief urged business owners and residents to keep fire extinguishers readily available and properly maintained to enable them to tackle outbreaks at an early stage before they escalate into major incidents.
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