Oyo Market Fire Victims Lament Losses, Seek Govt Support

Following incessant fire incidents in various markets across Oyo State, traders and stakeholders have lamented losses and resolved to ensure that safety measures focus on electrical safety, structural order, quick-response units and trader education.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP, a beans seller at the Bodija International Market, Alhaja Adewummi Najeemdeen, who claimed she lost close to N500,000 in the Bodija International Market inferno, said there was a need to ensure all electrical wiring is professionally installed, regularly inspected and free from illegal tapping or overloads.

She stressed the need to curb the indiscriminate and illegal construction of shops and shanties that block access routes and obstruct electrical lines, as highlighted by the Federal Fire Service.

According to her, storing petrol, kerosene, gas cylinders and other highly combustible items inside regular trading stalls should be strictly prohibited, while cooking with open flames or stoves inside shops or near combustible goods should also be banned.

Another victim, a yam seller, noted that fire incidents were becoming rampant in the market and that the goods and other valuables were lost in the fires.

On her own, she said the N300,000 loan she took from an online bank was lost.

Also speaking, a retired fire officer, Adekunle Olakunle, called for the installation of fire extinguishers in markets across the state, saying that traders should be encouraged to equip every shop with functional fire extinguishers to tackle small fires immediately.

He suggested that the government should establish functional market fire stations for on-site emergency response units, equipped with reliable water sources, sand buckets and fire trucks, as recommended by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

He added that the government should ensure market alleys and emergency exits remain unblocked at all times so firefighting trucks can reach a fire scene.

He called for trader education and business protection through routine fire safety training and evacuation drills for market union members and traders, and encouraged traders to take out business and fire insurance policies to cushion financial losses in the event of a disaster.

An official of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Akindele Oladokun, disclosed that the agency was working alongside the Oyo State government, taking several proactive and operational steps to reduce fire incidents in markets across the state.

He said the leadership of the agency conducts direct sensitisation tours to educate market leaders, men and women on basic fire prevention and core safety rules, such as installing 6kg fire extinguishers in individual stores, strictly switching off electrical appliances at the close of business, stopping burning refuse within market premises and keeping emergency contacts for the fire service handy, particularly for night security personnel.

According to him, the agency and state ministries campaign against and clear illegal structures, shanties and roof extensions built along gangways or access roads, while displaying wares on internal roads is discouraged to ensure fire trucks can reach emergency scenes without delay.

Oladokun said the agency mandates that boreholes constructed in markets adhere to specific fire service standards, ensuring firefighting trucks have immediate access to water rather than having to travel long distances to refill.

Dwelling on the incidents, Babaloja of the market, Alhaji Ismail Aderemi, appealed to the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and philanthropists to assist traders whose shops were destroyed by a fire outbreak at the market.

Aderemi, who is also the President of the Oyo State Market Men and Women, made the appeal while expressing concern about the incident’s impact on the livelihoods of affected traders.

The fire incident, which happened on Tuesday, reportedly affected 16 shops at the popular foodstuffs market in Ibadan, Oyo State, leaving the affected traders to face the trauma and challenge of rebuilding their businesses and recovering their losses.

Aderemi called on well-meaning individuals, corporate organisations and relevant authorities to provide assistance to the victims so they can resume their businesses.

The market leader also commended the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Bodija Market Police Division for her swift intervention in contacting the Oyo State Fire Service.

He noted that the swift response helped contain the spread of the fire and curtailed further damage to businesses.

He also appealed to the affected traders to remain calm and maintain peace, assuring them that the Ibadan North Local Government Area was taking steps to assist the shop owners.

The appeal came as the affected traders face the task of rebuilding their shops and restoring their livelihoods following the fire’s destruction.