Following the destruction of 15 stores in the Oja Tuntun market in Baboko, Ilorin, in the Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state by fire on Wednesday night, the governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, accompanied members of the State Fire Service in a rescue effort to recover commodities and property.
The fire, which broke out at 9:18 p.m., damaged merchandise from 15 stores, totaling an estimated N367.4 million in losses.
The market, which has 1,072 stores, 984 stands, and 27 warehouses, is situated in the center of the historic town.
According to the State Fire Service, it saved property valued at almost N25 billion by deploying equipment from two of its main stations, which are situated in Ilorin, the state capital.
“The fire department arrived to find multiple stores on fire and moved quickly to contain and put out the fire. To properly handle the issue, two fire appliances from separate stations—Folawiyo Road Fire Station and Brigade Headquarters—collaborated.
“Oja Tuntun Market, which has 1,072 stores, 984 stands, and 27 warehouses, only sustained minor damage from the fire; only 15 stores were impacted.
The timely and effective response of the fire department saved goods and property worth more than N25 billion. Even though an investigation is still underway, the cause of the fire could not yet be determined.
Notably, state governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq went on the scene and offered condolences to the impacted parties while praising the Kwara State Fire Service’s efforts in handling the emergency.
Instructing the populace to always develop the habit of turning off electrical appliances, even before going to bed, was the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Falade Olumuyiwa. He added, “this would help them to prevent the chances of fire outbreaks in their various homes, market places, offices, and also help them to drastically reduce it.”
Bukola Saraki, the president of the 8th Senate, has expressed sympathy to the victims of the fire that destroyed Oja Tuntun’s Kuntu wing.
In a statement provided to reporters on Thursday, Saraki’s Press Officer on Local Matters, Abdulganyu Abdulqadir, voiced concern about the city’s persistent fire occurrences and demanded immediate action to address them.
He thanked the firefighters for their prompt actions and insisted that all necessary steps be taken to stop these preventable accidents that are severely damaging people’s livelihoods.
“My condolences to the Oja Tuntun community and marketers on the regrettable fire that occurred at the market late on Wednesday night.
He declared, “This is a serious concern and I ask everyone to work together to find long-term solutions to prevent such tragic events in the future.”
The impacted marketers prayed to God Almighty for relief and support in light of their losses, as the Waziri Ngeri of Ilorin did.
