Traders, Residents Groan As Fire Ravages Oyo Markets

Muideen Mustapha operates as a tailor in Sango Market, located in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

Mustapha, who is usually referred to as Isekolowo among his customers, has been in the business for almost two decades.

He has invested much on his tailoring business and has carved a niche for himself as customers’ delight.

The middle-aged man’s investments have been destroyed as a result of a fire incident.

Daily Post reports that the market is a multi-commodity market where farm produce, building materials, finished goods, and food items are traded.

Apart from the traders, artisans such as carpenters and tailors like Mustapha can also be found in the market plying their trades.

Daily Post reports that the fire incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 4th February, 2024.

Mustapha narrated that the incident had rendered him helpless.

He said, “My name is Muideen Mustapha, a fashion designer, alias Isekolowo. We left this place on Saturday, but around 2:40 am on Sunday, there was a high voltage of electricity.

“It is only God that knows where it started, but it was due to high voltage. We have been experiencing a poor supply of electricity for about three days before the incident.

“It was one of the security men that raised an alarm. He woke up other people and they called our Public Relations Officer who then called Agidigbo FM; they called the police and the fire service. They all came to help us.

“To cut the long story short, 24 shops were burnt completely. We thank God that no life was lost to the fire incident.

“We lost property worth millions of naira. I have lost all my things, machines, clothes of customers and money.

“We want to appeal to the government and well to do individuals to assist us.”

Another victim of the fire incident, Mr. Abdullah Ajao, while speaking with DAILY POST, appealed to the government and individuals to assist them.

He said, “I am a meat seller. I am one of the people affected by the fire incident. What caused it was the high voltage.

“We have lost many things. We want the government and well to do individuals to help us.”

DAILY POST reports that no fewer than five fire incidents have been recorded in the state in the last one month.

Prior to the Sango Market fire incident, a similar incident has been recorded at Amuloko Market in Ona Ara local government area of the state.

About ten shops were razed when the incident occured on Saturday, 20th January, 2024. Goods and property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

Similarly, goods and property worth millions of naira were destroyed as a result of a fire incident that ravaged a section of Ajegunle Market in Oyo.

It was learnt that a vast part of the gari processing area of the market was mainly affected.

A source said that the inferno might have started from a frying cubicle not properly extinguished at the close of production.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, 23rd January, 2024.