Midnight Inferno Destroys Five Shops in Ibadan, Oyo Fire Service Blames Electrical Surge

Midnight Inferno Destroys Five Shops in Ibadan, Oyo Fire Service Blames Electrical Surge

A late-night fire outbreak on Tuesday wreaked havoc in the Papa area of Ibadan, Oyo State, destroying five shops and resulting in property losses estimated in the millions of naira.

Confirming the incident on Wednesday, Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, stated that the blaze occurred beside the Akin-Alamu building along Alakia Isebo Road.

While no lives were lost, the inferno caused significant property damage, raising concerns over fire safety in commercial areas of the state.

According to Akinwande, “We swiftly took action to prevent the fire from spreading to unaffected nearby shops and properties. The fire was completely extinguished and salvage operations were conducted.”

He attributed the cause of the fire to an electrical surge that ignited nearby flammable materials, leading to the rapid spread of the flames. The incident was reported through a telephone call at 11:22 p.m. on July 1, 2025.

Firefighters led by CFS Adesina Olusoji arrived promptly to battle the raging fire. Their swift intervention helped minimize the extent of the damage.

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“Although five out of ten shops were affected, our personnel managed to save properties worth millions of naira,” Akinwande said, commending the professionalism of his team.

“The prompt response by the Oyo State Fire Service helped mitigate further losses during this unfortunate event,” he added.

Authorities are urging business owners to prioritize electrical safety and ensure compliance with fire prevention measures to avoid future tragedies.