A massive fire broke out at the popular Araromi Spare Parts Market in Agodi-Gate, Ibadan, Oyo State, in the early hours of Saturday, destroying goods and properties worth millions of naira.
The General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Akinyemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incident, revealing that the fire started around 2 am and that firefighters were still battling to contain the flames as of Saturday morning.
“We are battling with a serious inferno at Agodi-Gate. Help us to call water tanker owners to assist us. We are still here battling with the situation,” Akinyinka said.
While firefighters struggled to put out the blaze, hoodlums reportedly took advantage of the chaos to break into shops, looting goods and harassing the fire service personnel on duty.
“Hoodlums have broken into shops at Araromi Agodi-Gate, and they are embarrassing and harassing men and officers of the Fire Service,” Akinyinka stated.
The cause of the fire remains unclear, but investigations are ongoing to determine what triggered the inferno.
This incident adds to a series of recent fire outbreaks in Ibadan. On Friday, a tragic fire in the Ori-Eru, Idikan area claimed the lives of a couple and their grandson. The blaze engulfed a storey building at about 3:46 am.
Earlier in the week, a fire destroyed three shops but was prevented from spreading to 13 others due to the timely intervention of the state fire services. Last Friday, a fire engulfed a parish of the Christ Apostolic Church in Lagelu Local Government Area, reportedly trapping worshippers inside during a vigil.
