A late-night fire on Thursday razed no fewer than ten shops opposite the main gate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, leaving goods and valuables worth millions of naira in ruins.
The blaze, which reportedly started around 10 p.m., spread rapidly through the row of shops before owners could arrive to salvage their wares.
One of the affected traders, who gave his name as Prince, said he lost more than 400 laptops and other equipment in his computer repair shop.
“I don’t know what to do. Everything is gone—laptops and all my tools,” he lamented.
Another shop owner said the inferno destroyed several deep freezers, drinks, and other items.
“By the time we got here, the shops had already been razed. Those who sell phones also lost everything,” he added.
Eyewitnesses said the intensity of the fire left traders helpless as they watched their businesses go up in flames.
A source suggested that the inferno may have been triggered by an electrical spark.