Tragedy struck at the popular Oranyan Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, when a mysterious fire swept through the herbal section, destroying over 40 shops and leaving traders in a state of devastation. The inferno, which occurred on Saturday night, ravaged the market, leaving behind a trail of destruction and millions of naira in losses.
When PUNCH Metro visited the market on Monday, the atmosphere was somber, with traders gathered in small groups, lamenting their losses. The market youth leader, Fatimoh Adebimpe, who has been trading at the market since 1979, expressed her shock and confusion at the incident. “We normally close our shops by 7 pm, and no one was around when the fire started. We’re still trying to figure out what caused it,” she said.
Another trader, Kafaya Lucky, revealed that she had kept a large amount of money in her shop, which was now gone. “We keep money in our shops because we deal with hunters who bring animals for us. If we don’t have cash, they might take their business elsewhere,” she explained.
Kehinde Moronfade, who had just taken a loan on Friday, was also affected by the fire. “I’m devastated. I don’t know how I’ll repay the loan now,” he said.
The General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed that the incident occurred at 23:25 hours on Saturday and affected 20 prefabricated shops. “Our personnel responded quickly and saved property worth billions of naira, but unfortunately, millions of naira worth of property was lost,” he said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and traders are still reeling from the shock of their losses. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of markets in the state and the need for adequate fire prevention measures.
Punch
