A fire incident on Friday night caused significant damage to popular Olusola Saraki Market, Ita-Amo, in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, destroying several shops with property worth millions of naira.
The blaze, which reportedly began around 9 p.m., consumed seven shops stocked with goods such as clothing materials, meat, and provisions.
Sources revealed that the fire was likely triggered by a power surge caused by unstable electricity supply from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The Kwara State Fire Service confirmed the incident, with its spokesman, Hassan Adekunle in a statement issued on Saturday.
He stated that the swift intervention of firefighters prevented further destruction, saving 269 out of the 276 shops in the market.
He said, “On Friday, 10 January 2025, at about 21:36 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service received a distress call reporting a fire outbreak at Olusola Saraki Market, Ita-Amo, Ilorin.
“Our firefighters promptly deployed to the scene and discovered multiple shops ablaze in a market comprising 276 shops.
Through swift intervention, our team successfully contained the inferno, limiting the damage to only seven shops and saving 269 others.
“The affected shops included meat vendors, clothing material shops, and provision stores.
He added that preliminary investigations suggest the fire stemmed from a power surge, a conclusion corroborated by the market’s security personnel.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident might have been caused by a power surge following the fluctuating power supply from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), as reported by the market’s security personnel,” Adekunle added.
