A fire that broke out on Friday night at Olusola Saraki Market in the Ita-Amo area of Ilorin West Local Government Area, Kwara State, has destroyed goods worth millions of Naira.
The Kwara State Fire Service reported that the blaze consumed various items, including clothing materials, provisions, soft drinks, and meat.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Hassan Adekunle, the Principal Fire Officer and Head of Media and Publicity for the state Fire Service, confirmed that seven out of the 269 shops in the market were destroyed.
The fire was reportedly triggered by a power surge caused by fluctuating electricity supply from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The statement read: “On Friday, January 10, 2025, at about 9:36 p.m., we received a distress call about a fire at Olusola Saraki Market. Our firefighters responded promptly and discovered multiple shops ablaze in the market. Through swift intervention and expertise, we contained the fire, limiting the damage to just seven shops, and saved 269 others.”
The affected shops included those selling meat, clothing, and provisions.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the fire may have been caused by a power surge due to inconsistent electricity supply, as confirmed by the market’s security personnel.
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, expressed sympathy for the market leadership, affected shop owners, and the community.
He also urged everyone to implement fire safety measures to prevent future incidents, while hoping that the traders’ losses would be compensated and restored.
