Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Tragedy struck the bustling commercial heart of Ibadan in the early hours of Monday, August 24, 2026, as a devastating fire outbreak ripped through the popular Oranya Market in the Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State, destroying no fewer than 300 shops and leaving hundreds of traders counting monumental losses. The inferno, which reportedly started around midnight, swiftly spread through the market, engulfing retail shops belonging to gold sellers, furniture dealers, second-hand clothes merchants and numerous other traders who had built their livelihoods within the market's walls. Eyewitnesses described the scene as apocalyptic, with the flames consuming everything in their path before firefighters could bring the situation under control around 1 a.m..
A trader identified simply as Iya Alia, who witnessed the devastating event, painted a grim picture of the scale of destruction. “The fire started around midnight. I cannot be specific about that time. And those affected were gold sellers, furniture sellers, second-hand clothes sellers and many others. The shops affected were almost 300,” she said. Another eyewitness, who requested anonymity, echoed her sentiments, describing the incident as catastrophic. “This is devastating. This is huge. I don’t even know how to explain it. Close to 300 shops were destroyed,” the trader lamented. The Oyo State Fire Service, however, urged caution regarding the exact number of shops destroyed, with the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and State Chairman of Fire Services, Morof Akinwande, confirming that a post-fire investigation would be required to ascertain the precise figure.
Akinwande, who confirmed the incident, revealed that the fire started with an explosion in the middle of the market, though the exact cause remains undetermined. “Yes, it occurred. That number we cannot ascertain, but what is known is that some shops were destroyed and the fire incident started in the middle of the market with an explosion. Whether it’s a gas explosion or other things. And when you have a gas explosion, it would spread, but as I am talking to you, the situation has been under control since 1 am,” Akinwande stated. He added that determining the number of destroyed shops and the extent of inventory losses would form part of the post-fire investigation.
The Oranya Market fire is the latest in a series of devastating blazes that have plagued Ibadan's markets in recent years, raising serious questions about fire safety standards and emergency preparedness in the state. In 2024, more than 200 shops in the herbal section of the same market were completely razed by fire. The incident also comes barely two days after another fire outbreak destroyed nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway shopping complex along the Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area. That Saturday, August 22, 2026, fire, which started around 5 a.m., destroyed goods, household items and other property worth millions of naira. One of the affected traders, Busari Olayemi, who runs an interior decoration business, lamented that the fire destroyed products worth about N21 million, including window blinds, curtain fabrics and industrial sewing machines.
The recurring nature of these disasters has renewed concerns among traders and residents over fire prevention, market safety standards and the speed of emergency response in Ibadan. Affected traders at Oranya Market, many of whom have lost their entire life savings, are now left to pick up the pieces, uncertain of how to rebuild their businesses. For the government, the incident underscores the urgent need for comprehensive fire safety audits in major markets, improved firefighting infrastructure, and stricter enforcement of safety regulations. As the Oyo State Government begins its assessment of the damage, the question remains: how many more markets must burn before concrete action is taken to prevent such tragedies? For now, the traders of Oranya Market are left to mourn their losses, while the authorities are expected to determine the causes of the incident and assess the extent of the losses suffered by the affected traders.
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