Five shops were destroyed by fire in the early hours of Wednesday near the Olowo-Ifon shopping complex in the Orita Challenge area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
The Oyo State Fire Service confirmed the incident, saying it happened around 2:24am.
Chairman of the fire service, Maroof Akinwande, said his team responded quickly and were able to stop the fire from spreading to other nearby shops and the shopping complex.
“Our personnel acted quickly and salvaged properties worth millions. Unfortunately, five out of eleven shops were destroyed,” Akinwande said in a statement.
He said the fire was likely caused by an electrical surge that came in contact with flammable materials.
He advised business owners to always take fire safety seriously and put preventive steps in place to avoid losses.
