By Dele Moses, Ilorin
An early morning fire outbreak on Tuesday wrecked havoc at the popular Owode market in Offa town, Kwara State.
The fire, the cause of which is yet to be ascertained, razed about 23 shops and destroyed goods worth millions of Naira in the market.
The Owode market is the main market of the Offa town, the second largest community in Kwara after the state capital, Ilorin.
The fire reportedly broke out around 1 am after shopkeepers have closed and left for home and when most residents in the vicinity had gone to bed.
Head of Media and Publicity of the state Fire Brigade Service, Hassan Adekunle, said the inferno was put out by men of the Service after they were contacted.
Adekunle who explained that arrival of the fire fighters at the scene prevented the fire from affecting more shops and residential buildings said the fire might have been caused by an electric spark.
He however disclosed that the intelligence unit of the Fire Brigade was working to know the immediate and remote causes.
He said, “Today inferno was at Owode Market, Offa, Kwara State. It started around 1:00 am and before they were able to reach fire Brigade many shops has been engulfed already. But immediately the State Fire Service arrived, the fire was initially prevented from further spreading to the other shops in that vicinity before it was later put under control.
“And if not because of the quick intervention of the fire Brigade, the disaster would have been a great one. Though about 23 shops were affected due to the little delay in calling fire Brigade.
“The cause of the inferno was suspected to be an electric spark, even though the intelligent team of the State Fire Brigade is still working on that to unravel and ascertain the cause of the inferno,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kwara State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Aisha Ahman-Pategi, has sympathized with the victims.
In a statement signed by the press secretary to the ministry, Oba Azeez, the Commissioner expressed shock over the incident and commiserated with the Olofa of Offa, Oba Muftau Gbadamosi, and the people who lost valuables, saying that she understood what the tragedy meant to the victims, Offa LG and Kwara State at a time of economic recovery in Offa.
Ahman-Pategi noted that Offa LGA was one of the industrial hubs of Kwara State and the importance of the market to the local community and the state cannot be overstated. She prayed that “Allah puts succour in the hearts of those who lost valuables.”
The Commissioner advised caution in using electricity and items that are hazardous which could ignite fire. She pledged that the government would work with the community and concerned authorities on how to assist the victims and prevent future tragedies.
