Shops destroyed in fire outbreak at Ibadan market

Goods worth millions of naira were burnt in an inferno that swept through Dugbe market in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, on Wednesday.

According to NAN, the fire, which was said to have started around 2pm, was put out at about 4:05 pm by a combined team of fire fighters from the Oyo State Fire Service, Central Bank of Nigeria and Sweetco.

Witnesses reportedly said a spark from a welder’s shop had ignited the fire which quickly spread to other shops in the market.

Several stores filled with bedding, clothes, furniture, electronics and travelling bags were destroyed in the incident.

Moshood Adewuyi, a deputy director in the Oyo State Fire Service, said the traders failed to call the service immediately the fire started .

” I wonder why a fire incident that happened in the afternoon destroyed so much goods before fire service was called. If it was in the night that the incident happened, it would have been an excuse because we would have said the owners were not there,” he said.

“But the shop owners were trying to put out the fire on their own and when it failed, they decided to call the fire service after it had destroyed all the shops with goods.

“When we came, some shop owners were seen trying to pull out their goods from the stores.”

Folasade Ajiboye, a trader, said the fire service was not called on time.

Oriola Bodunrin, another shop owner, however, said the fire station at Aleshinloye Market was contacted, adding that officers there claimed they had no water.