About 300 shops were destroyed in a midnight fire at the popular Oranya Market in Ibadan North East Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The inferno started around midnight and spread rapidly across sections of the market before it was contained in the early hours of Monday.
Investigations showed that the fire affected mostly retailers’ shops dealing in gold, furniture, second-hand clothes and other goods.
Firefighters brought the situation under control around 1 o’ clock Monday morning. Authorities of the Nigeria Fire Service said it was too early to give a precise figure on the number of shops destroyed or the value of goods lost, adding that a post-fire investigation would determine the full inventory of damage.
Oyo State Acting Governor, Bayo Lawal, visited Oranya Market on Monday alongside some members of the state executive council to assess the damage.
He sympathized with the traders and assured them that the state government would intervene to restore those who lost their properties.
He urged the market leadership to help coordinate affected shop owners and present proper records of losses to enable government support.
Lawal said the government was committed to preventing a recurrence and would work with market leaders to strengthen safety measures.
He called on traders to ensure order and proper documentation so that assistance would get to the right people.
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(Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie)
