More than 500 shops and stalls were destroyed in a fire that engulfed the popular Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed on Thursday.
The fire, which broke out around 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday in the Ibadan South West Local Government Area, caused extensive damage, with goods worth hundreds of millions of naira lost.
The South-West Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Kadiri Olanrewaju, revealed in an assessment report that many traders had recently restocked their goods, worsening their financial losses.
“No fatalities were recorded, but several individuals sustained minor injuries from smoke inhalation and shock while attempting to salvage their goods,” Olanrewaju stated.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started in the Plastic Merchants section of the market before spreading rapidly due to the flammable nature of the stored materials.
Emergency response teams, including the Oyo State Fire Service, private fire units from SWEETCO and SUMAL, market security personnel, and local volunteers, battled to contain the blaze.
However, firefighting efforts were hindered by the lack of a functional fire truck at the market’s fire station and an inadequate water supply. Despite these challenges, responders managed to prevent the fire from spreading to other sections of the market.
Oyo State Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, visited the market to assess the damage and assured affected traders of immediate relief support through the State Emergency Management Agency and NEMA.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire and are considering measures to prevent future occurrences.
NEMA has recommended several steps, including:
– Strengthening fire safety measures within the market.
– Equipping market fire stations with functional fire trucks and adequate water supply.
– Conducting regular fire drills and safety training for traders.
– Enhancing emergency response infrastructure.
– Establishing a well-equipped emergency response unit within the market.
– Strengthening partnerships between the Federal and State Governments and private organizations to – improve disaster response.
– The state government has pledged to provide emergency relief packages to help affected traders recover from their losses.
