The General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Akinyemi Akinyinka, confirmed the fire outbreak and raised concerns about the activities of hoodlums who took advantage of the chaos to loot shops. He disclosed that the criminals harassed and embarrassed firefighters, hindering their efforts to contain the blaze.
“Hoodlums have broken into shops at Araromi Agodi-Gate, and they are embarrassing and harassing men and officers of the Fire Service,” Akinyinka said.
The inferno, which reportedly started around 2 a.m., raged uncontrollably for hours, with firefighters calling on water tanker owners for assistance. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined as investigations continue.
In a related incident, a fire on Friday morning claimed the lives of a man, his wife, and their grandson in the Ori-Eru, Idikan area of Ibadan. The blaze occurred at a storey building around 3:46 a.m., causing significant devastation.
These incidents are part of a series of fire outbreaks in the state. Last Sunday, three shops were destroyed in a fire in Ibadan, although the timely intervention of the fire service saved 13 other shops. On Friday night, a fire engulfed a parish of the Christ Apostolic Church in the city, reportedly trapping several worshippers during a vigil at Wisdom Estate, Olohunda Road.
Authorities are urging vigilance and preventive measures to curb the rising cases of fire disasters in the state.
