Deborah Akinyosoye
No fewer than three shops were razed by fire in the early hours of Friday in Sango, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The incident, which occurred behind the Fart Oil filling station around 4:30 am, reportedly began after an electrical spark from a plugged-in freezer ignited nearby combustible materials.
Three out of a row of ten prefabricated shops were completely engulfed in flames before the arrival of fire service officials.
Though no casualties were recorded, goods including freezers, drinks, and other valuables worth several million naira were destroyed in the inferno.
When contacted on Friday, the State General Manager of the Fire Service, Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incident to our correspondent in Ibadan.
He said, “The emergency was reported at exactly 04:41 hours on the morning of Friday, May 2, 2025, via a telephone call from CSP Adesina, concerning shops on fire behind the Fart Oil Filling Station, Sango, Ibadan.
“The agency’s personnel, led by ACFS Adedeji (Mrs), were promptly deployed to the scene. On arrival, it was discovered that three shops out of a row of ten prefabricated shops were well alight.
“We swiftly swung into action and prevented the fire from spreading to other shops. The blaze was completely extinguished.
“No casualty was recorded. The fire affected three shops, freezers, and drinks. All nearby shops and property worth millions of naira were saved by officers of the fire service.” He added that preliminary investigations revealed the fire was caused by sparks from a freezer that had been plugged in overnight and left unattended.