The Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq, on Wednesday night, joined the state Fire Service in a rescue operation to salvage goods and property at the Oja Tuntun Market, Baboko, Ilorin in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state.

The fire incident which started at about 9.18pm on Wednesday affected 15 shops with goods lost estimated at N367.4m.

The Oja Tuntun Market, Baboko located in the heart of the ancient town housed 1,072 shops, 984 stands, and 27 warehouses.

The state Fire Service which said that it deployed equipment from two of its major stations located in Ilorin, the state capital, said that it saved property estimated at about N25bn as a result of its quick and massive intervention to curtail the fire.

The cause of the fire incident could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

A statement signed by the Head of Media and Publicity of the state Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, said, “On November 22, 2023, at approximately 21:18 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service responded to a fire at Oja Tuntun market in Ilorin West Local Government Area.

“Upon arrival, the fire crew found numerous shops ablaze and worked swiftly to control and extinguish the fire. Two fire appliances from different stations, namely Brigade Headquarters and Folawiyo Road Fire Station, collaborated to tackle the situation effectively.

“The Oja Tuntun Market, housing 1,072 shops, 984 stands, and 27 warehouses, experienced minimal damage, with only 15 shops affected by the inferno.

“The fire service's prompt and efficient response helped save commodities and property valued at over N25bn. The cause of the fire couldn't be affirmed yet while investigation is ongoing.

“Notably, the state governor, Mallam Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, was present at the scene, expressing sympathy for those affected and commending the efforts of the Kwara State Fire Service in successfully managing the situation”, the statement said.

The Director of Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade Olumuyiwa, urged the citizens to always cultivate the habit of switching off their electrical appliances even before bedtime, adding, “This would help them to prevent the chances of fire incidents in their various homes, marketplaces, offices and also help them to drastically reduce it.”

Meanwhile, the President of the 8th Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has sympathised with the victims of the inferno that engulfed the Kuntu wing of Oja Tuntun, Ilorin, Kwara State.

Saraki, in a statement by his Press Officer on Local Matters, Abdulganyu Abdulqadir, which was made available to newsmen on Thursday, expressed worry over the incessant occurrence of fire incidents in the city and called for urgent steps to address them.

He commended men of the fire service for their timely interventions, and said all measures must be put in place to put an end to these avoidable incidents that were wreaking havoc on the people's source of livelihood.

“My thoughts are with the marketers and Ojatuntun community over the unfortunate fire at the market late Wednesday night.

“This is a huge concern and I call on everyone to join hands to find lasting solutions to forestall such sad occurrences in the future,” he said.

The Waziri Ngeri of Ilorin prayed to God Almighty to relieve the affected marketers and grant them succour over their losses.