A devastating fire outbreak gutted five shops in the Papa area of Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, leaving behind charred ruins and millions of naira in destroyed goods.
Confirming the incident in a statement issued Wednesday, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, said the fire occurred beside the Akin-Alamu building on Alakia Isebo Road.
Though no lives were lost, the economic loss is said to be significant.
According to Akinwande, the blaze was caused by an electrical surge that ignited nearby flammable materials, which quickly spread through the row of shops before firefighters could contain it.
“The fire was traced to an electric surge that sparked and caught onto combustibles nearby, resulting in the inferno,” he explained.
The affected shop owners are now counting their losses, with many lamenting the absence of surge protectors and fire extinguishers—tools that could have limited the damage.
