Fire guts shops in Oyo

A devastating fire swept through the Nigerian Railway shopping complex in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday, razing nine locked-up shops and causing extensive financial losses estimated in the millions of naira. The incident occurred at the popular Aleshinloye Market, leaving traders in despair over the destruction of goods, household items, and other properties.

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The fire destroyed products worth about N21 million, including window blinds, curtain fabrics, industrial sewing machines and other equipment. What happened here destroyed a lot of things. Our customers’ fabrics were burnt; you can see them over there. Our industrial sewing machines and tools were burnt right there.

The fire reportedly started around 5 a.m. on Saturday. Traders were alerted to the blaze by residents around 6 a.m. One affected trader, who runs an interior decoration business, reported losses of approximately 21 million naira, including window blinds, curtain fabrics, and industrial sewing machines.

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The fire incident was reported at exactly 05:58 am through a telephone call from Taofeek, who alerted the agency to a fire outbreak at shops within the complex.

Firefighters were alerted and responded promptly, mobilizing to the scene. Upon arrival, they found nine shops engulfed in flames with thick smoke billowing from the complex. Through coordinated efforts and the deployment of a second fire truck, the fire was brought under control and extinguished, preventing its spread to adjacent shops.

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The firefighting crew, led by Chief Fire Superintendent Adesina, promptly mobilised to the scene. Upon arrival, the crew discovered that nine locked-up shops, out of several shops within the complex, were engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing from the affected premises.

Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was ignited by an electrical surge. Thankfully, no casualties were reported. The incident follows a similar, larger fire at the Aleshinloye Market in March 2025, which ravaged over 40 shops, highlighting ongoing fire safety concerns in the area. Officials urged the public to remain vigilant and fire-conscious.

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Through the combined efforts of the firefighting crews, the fire was brought under control and completely extinguished within a short period, thereby preventing its spread to adjoining shops and properties.