Fire razes popular Ibadan market

A fire outbreak on Saturday destroyed properties, materials, and other goods at the popular Araromi auto spare parts market in Agodi, Ibadan North-East local government area of Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

The inferno, according to an eyewitness account, started at midnight on Saturday while people living in the neighbourhood, especially Odejayi, Onipasan, Okeadu and Okuyoro areas were alerted by the thick smoke that emanated from the affected shops.

Tribune Online gathered that the people living in the neighbourhood resorted to self-help to bring the situation under control but to no avail.

Also, hoodlums took advantage of the incident to loot some shops and subsequently carted away goods worth millions of naira, Tribune Online told.

In an interview with one of the owners of the affected shops, who simply identifies himself as Karimu, he estimated his loss at over N25m.

He said, “I stayed around Amuloko in Ona Ara local government area. I received a distress call from one of my friends that ‘Iso Pasti is on fire’ around 2:45 am. I hurriedly left my house with the assistance of one of the landlords in my area who owns a motorbike (Okada).

“But I arrived at the market, the deed had been done already. I just took delivery of auto spare parts at the Nigerian Ports Authority, Tin Can Island.

“I have lost everything to the incident. My appeal is for the government to come to our aid.”

Speaking on the fire incident, the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Services, Akinyemi Akinyinka, decried the invasion of some of the shops by suspected hoodlums.

He explained that despite the ongoing efforts of men and officers of the Fire Services to extinguish the fire, the hoodlums have subjected them to embarrassment and harassment.

He stated, “Hoodlums have broken into shops at Araromi Agodi-Gate, and they are embarrassing and harassing men and officers of Fire Services.”

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“The blaze reportedly started around 2 am on Saturday and continues to rage, with firefighters still battling to contain it.

“We are battling with a serious inferno at Agodi-Gate. Help us to call water tanker owners to assist us. We are still here battling with the situation.”

While the cause of the Agodi spare parts fire remains unclear with investigations still ongoing, the incident is coming barely twenty-four hours after a similar incident took the lives of a husband, wife, and their grandson at Ori-Eru, Idikan area of Ibadan.

According to reports made available to newsmen by the State Fire Services, five persons were rescued in the incident.

Also, the Oyo State Fire Services Agency prevented a gas truck from exploding along the Ibadan/Lagos Expressway, Agidigbo area of Ibadan on Friday.

The General Manager explained that the fire incident was reported to the Agency at exactly 12:10hrs of Friday, 20th December 2024, through GSM and CFM Adisa Kazeem that a gas tanker was on fire.

He added, “The personnel of the Agency led by ACFS Adediji promptly deployed to the scene of the incident and arrived on time. On their arrival, it was discovered that a truck carrying domestic gas was involved in the inferno that might have led to an explosion.

“Prompt response of the Agency contained and prevented it from leading to an explosion. It was subdued and put under total control.”

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