Shop owners lost goods estimated at N30 million to Friday’s fire outbreak at Oja-Tuntun Market in Ile-Ife, Osun, Adeyinmi Adeleye of the Oyo State Fire Service said on Saturday.
Mr Adeleye told journalists in Ile-Ife that the fire began from an electrical power surge in one of the shops in the market.
He said residents rose to the occasion and joined the firefighters to extinguish the fire, noting that no life was lost to the accident.
The head of market women at the Oja-Tuntun Market, Falilat Lawal, lamented repeated fire outbreaks.
She recalled that years back, the market association called on the state government to restructure the market and turn it into a major trading centre.
Ms Lawal observed that shops in the market were poorly spaced, leading to congestion and exposure to collateral damage.
“The state and federal government should come to our aid in reconstructing this market; we need solar light in the market.
“This is the major market in ancient Ile-Ife city, and there has not been any improvement since its creation till date, compared to Gbagi Market in Ibadan.
“Majority of those whose shops were razed had been conducting their businesses using bank loans; they are now at sea as to how to begin again,’’ Ms Lawal noted.
(NAN)