A fire on Saturday destroyed properties, materials, and other goods at the popular Araromi auto spare parts market in Agodi in the Ibadan North East local government area.
The inferno, according to an eyewitness account started at 12 am, Saturday.
People living in the neighborhood, especially Odejayi, Onipasan, Okeadu and Okuyoro were alerted by thick smoke that emanated from the affected shops.
It was gathered that the people living in the neighbourhood sought self-help in order to bring the situation under but to no avail.
Also, the hoodlums took advantage of the incident to loot some shops and subsequently carted away goods worth millions of naira.
In an interview with one of the owners of the affected shops who simply identifies himself as Karimu, he estimated his personal loss at over N25m
According to him, “I stated around Thy will area, Amuloko in Ona Ara local government area. I received a distress call from one of my friends that “Iso Pasti is on fire around 2;45am.
I hurriedly left my house with the assistance of one of the landlords in my area who owns a motorbike otherwise known as Okada.
“But I arrived at the market, the deed had been done already. I just took delivery of auto spare parts at the Nigerian Ports Authority, Tin Can Island.
“I have lost everything to the incident. My appeal is for the government to come to our aid.”
Meanwhile, the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Services, Akinyemi Akinyinka has raised the alarm over the invasion of some of the shops by the suspected hoodlums.
He explained that despite the ongoing efforts of men and officers of the services to extinguish the fire, the hoodlums have subjected them to embarrassment and harassment.
He said, “Hoodlums have broken into shops at Araromi Agodi-Gate, and they are embarrassing and harassing men and officers of Fire Services.”
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The blaze reportedly started around 2am on Saturday and continues to rage, with firefighters still battling to contain it.
“We are battling with a serious inferno at Agodi-Gate. Help us to call water tanker owners to assist us. We are still here battling with the situation.”
The cause of the fire remains unclear as investigations are ongoing.
The incident is coming barely after twenty-four hours after the similar incident that took the lives of a husband, his wife, and their grandson at Ori-Eru, Idikan area of Ibadan.
Five persons were rescued according to the reports made available to the newsmen by the State Fire Services.
Also, the Oyo State Fire Services Agency has been able to prevent Gas truck from exploding along Ibadan/Lagos Expressway Agidigbo Area, Ibadan on Friday.
The General Manager, Akinyinka explained that the fire incident was reported to the Agency at exactly 12:10hrs of Friday 20th December 2024 through GSM and CFM Adisa Kazeem to gas tanker on fire at the above address.
His report, “The personnel of the Agency led by ACFS Adediji promptly deployed to the scene of Incident and arrived on time. On their arrival, it was discovered that a truck carrying domestic gas was involved in the inferno that might have led to explosion.
“Prompt response of the Agency Curtailed and prevented it from leading to explosion. It was subdued and put under total control”.
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