NSCDC battles looters as fire destroys 17 shops in Osun Market

Tamarauemi Ebimini

An early morning fire yesterday destroyed goods worth millions of naira in Oja Tuntun, the biggest market in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Between July 2019 and December 2020, the market experienced three fire incidents, which destroyed many shops and goods.

Although the cause of the latest incident was not known yet, the spokesperson for the Osun State Fire Service, Adekunle Ibrahim, during an interview, said firemen got a distress call from a resident living near the market around 12.30 am.

Ibrahim added that when firefighters arrived at the scene, the inferno had affected a building having 16 shops and a container within the market, adding that a team from the fire unit of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, also joined the operation.

He said: “Ile-Ife Zonal Fire Station was informed about a fire incident at Olulere New Market, Oja Tuntun in Ile-Ife around 12.30am on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

“Our men met the fire well lit and put out the fire with assistance from the OAU Fire Unit. Properties saved were worth over N500 million, but a block which had a total of 16 shops and one container, making a total of 17 shops were affected.”

Meanwhile, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), ensured that goods were not looted as firefighters struggled to quench the fire.

The Public Relations Officer of the corps in the state, Kehinde Adeleke, said operatives of the command were on guard at the scene to prevent looting, as firemen battled to prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the market.