A fire outbreak in the early hours of Friday ravaged sections of the popular Bode Market in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State, destroying several shops and goods valued at millions of naira.
The inferno, which affected the market’s herbal products section, left many traders counting their losses as flames consumed merchandise before firefighters brought the situation under control.
As of the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire had yet to be determined, while the Oyo State Fire Service had not issued an official statement on the incident.
A trader, who identified herself simply as Serifat, said the blaze caused extensive destruction and lamented the heavy losses suffered by shop owners.
“The fire destroyed many shops and goods worth millions of naira. We still do not know what caused it,” she said.
Firefighters were said to have responded promptly to a distress call and successfully contained the blaze, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the bustling market.
Bode Market is one of the largest commercial centres in Ibadan and serves as a major hub for the sale of herbs, animal skins and other traditional products.
The market attracts traders and customers from across the South-West and other parts of the country.
Authorities were yet to provide further details on the incident as investigations into the cause of the fire continued.