A midnight fire outbreak ravaged at least 12 shops at the Mayegun Cement Store Market, Araromi, located at Agodi-Gate in Ibadan, Oyo State’s capital, leaving property worth millions of naira destroyed in its wake.
The inferno, which began around 10:55 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2025, lasted for over three hours before it was finally subdued by operatives of the Oyo State Fire Service. The cause of the fire is yet to be officially determined, though eyewitnesses suspect it may have been triggered by an electrical surge or flammable materials stored within one of the affected shops.
Speaking on the incident, the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Rev. Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed the fire outbreak, noting that the agency received the distress call at exactly 11:02 p.m.
“Our control room got the emergency call through a phone report from a Mr. Young who alerted us about a fire incident at Block A, No. 64, Mayegun Cement Store Market, Araromi, Agodi-Gate,” Akinyinka said.
“Immediately, a team led by Chief Fire Superintendent (CFS) Jimoh was dispatched to the scene. On arrival, we encountered a raging fire affecting several lock-up shops. Our personnel swiftly swung into action, containing the blaze and preventing it from spreading to adjacent shops.”
He revealed that while 12 shops were completely razed, firemen were able to salvage property worth billions of naira from the engulfed section and other parts of the market. “The fire was brought under control after several hours of intense firefighting, and our appliance returned to base at 3:18 a.m. on Friday,” he added.
When ireport247new.com visited the market on Friday morning, affected traders and sympathizers were seen at the scene, lamenting their losses. Burnt remains of goods such as cement, iron rods, tiles, plumbing materials, and building equipment littered the ground. Many shop owners, some in tears, could barely salvage anything.
A shop owner, Mr. Adetayo Olalekan, who deals in plumbing materials, said he lost everything in the fire. “I had just stocked up goods worth over N7 million. Not a single item could be recovered,” he said. “This is my only source of livelihood, and I don’t know how to start again. We are pleading with the government to assist us.”
Another trader, lamented the absence of fire hydrants or fire extinguishing equipment in the market. “If we had extinguishers or if the market had a standby security team with basic fire training, the damage could have been reduced. Government should enforce safety measures in markets.”
Market leaders have called on the Oyo State government to provide emergency relief and support to affected traders. According to Alhaji Kabiru Ajayi, a representative of the market association, “This is a huge economic setback. The losses are massive. We urge Governor Seyi Makinde to visit and assess the situation himself.”
Ajayi added that the market association had previously written to the state government, requesting fire safety training and equipment for shop owners, but had yet to receive a response.
This incident is the latest in a series of market fires in Ibadan in recent years. In 2020, a devastating inferno razed over 45 shops at the Dugbe Market, while another fire incident in 2023 destroyed parts of the Bodija plank market. With a recent one in Aleshinloye Market.
Public safety experts have raised concerns about the frequency of such incidents, citing poor infrastructure, electrical faults, lack of fire preparedness, and congested market layouts as major contributing factors.
As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo State Government has not issued an official statement regarding the fire. Efforts to reach the state’s Commissioner for Environment and the Special Adviser on Emergency Management were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the Fire Service has urged traders and residents to maintain safety precautions and ensure compliance with electrical safety standards to avoid future tragedies.