From Bola Ogunlayi, Ibadan
Two buildings housing over eight shops in sprawling Dugbe market, Ibadan, Oyo State were destroyed by fire incident Wednesday afternoon, with goods worth millions of naira in flames.
The fire, which started at about 1:25 pm, affected a story building and a bungalow which houses several shops.
The Chief Fire Officer of the Oyo State Fire Service, Mr Moshood Adewuyi said the service received a distress call around 1:30 pm, and that a vehicle was sent there immediately to put out the fire.
On getting there, the firemen realized the enormity of the fire and called for reinforcement, prompting the sending of a second vehicle.
The combination of the efforts of the teams and two vehicles helped put out the fire at about 3:00pm. But the shops were badly affected, leading to huge loss for the affected traders.
Only the ground floor of the story building was spared. The floor is used as a warehouse for building materials.
Adewuyi said the cause of the fire was yet to be determined as of press time.
The affected shops are located opposite UBA building at Dugbe Alawo area of the capital city.
Men of the fire service from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the state fire service were seen at the scene of the fire emptying three water tankers and frantically battling the fire.
Although no life was lost in the inferno, many traders whose shops and goods were razed were seen crying and lamenting their loss.