Fire Destroys 300 Shops at Oyo's Oranya Market

An early morning fire on Monday razed approximately 300 shops at Oranya Market in the Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State. Eyewitness accounts indicated that the fire began around midnight, affecting various traders, including gold sellers, furniture dealers, and second-hand clothes sellers.

Affected trader Iya Alia described the incident as devastating. Morof Akinwande, Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and State Chairman of Fire Services, confirmed the incident, stating that the fire started in the middle of the market with an explosion, though he could not specify whether it was a gas explosion.

He noted that the situation was under control by 1 am, but the exact number of destroyed shops was still being assessed. This incident follows a similar fire in 2024 that destroyed over 200 shops in the herbal section of the market.