At least three shops were destroyed in an early morning fire at the Nigerian Railway Shopping Complex along Aleshinloye Market Road in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday.
The fire reportedly started at about 4am and spread to adjoining shops before firefighters arrived and brought the blaze under control.
One of the affected traders, Busari Olayemi, said residents of Quarters 4 alerted shop owners to the incident at about 6am.
Olayemi, who operates an interior decoration business with his partner, Adebola Sunday Adeniyi, said the fire destroyed window blinds, curtain fabrics, industrial sewing machines and other equipment.
He put the estimated value of the goods and equipment lost in their shop at about N21 million.
According to him, fabrics belonging to customers were also destroyed, alongside items and equipment accumulated over the past one to two years.
“We lost a lot of things. Our customers’ fabrics were burnt, as well as our industrial sewing machines and tools,” Olayemi said.
He said the cause of the fire had not been established, adding that the shop owners were unable to determine where the blaze started.
Speaking on the incident, CFS Akinleye of the Aleshinloye Fire Station in Ibadan identified carelessness and ignorance as major causes of fire outbreaks.
He advised traders to switch off electrical appliances before leaving their shops, particularly because of the possibility of power surges following interruptions in electricity supply.
Akinleye also urged traders to keep functional fire extinguishers readily available, saying the equipment could help prevent a small fire from developing into a major outbreak.
He called on residents and traders to remain vigilant, especially as the festive period approaches.
“Fire is a good servant and a bad master. So we must not play with fire,” he said.
The Chairman of Ibadan South-West Local Government, Kehinde Adeyemi Akande, commended firefighters and law enforcement officers for their response to the incident.
Akande said the cause of the fire would be investigated after the blaze had been fully contained.
He also urged traders to observe basic fire safety measures, including keeping fire extinguishers in their shops and disconnecting electrical appliances before leaving.
