A series of fire outbreaks in different parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, has destroyed a carpentry workshop and two other shops, raising concerns over fire safety in commercial premises.
The incidents, which occurred at Agodi Yidi and the Ogo Oluwa Shopping Complex in the Challenge area of the city, were confirmed by the Oyo State Fire Services Agency.
At Agodi Yidi, a carpentry workshop comprising two fabricated shops within the Japata Complex was reportedly gutted by fire on Saturday, resulting in the destruction of the facility.
In a separate incident at the Ogo Oluwa Shopping Complex, Challenge, another shop was engulfed by flames, with thick smoke reportedly billowing from the affected premises.
The Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Hon. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, disclosed the incidents in a statement issued on Monday, confirming that no lives were lost in the outbreaks.
According to Akinwande, firefighters, upon arriving at the Agodi Yidi scene, discovered that two fabricated shops being used as a carpentry workshop had already been engulfed by fire.
He further explained that the Challenge incident involved one shop among about 180 lock-up shops within the shopping complex.
The agency’s chairman noted that firefighters discovered flames and thick smoke coming from the affected shop upon arrival at the scene.
Although no fatalities were recorded, the incidents resulted in property damage, highlighting the need for business owners and traders to strengthen fire prevention measures and adhere to safety precautions in commercial environments.
The causes of the two fire outbreaks and the extent of the financial losses were not disclosed in the statement.
