Fire Devastates Shops in Ogbomoso, Millions in Goods Lost as Fire Brigade Allegedly Fails to Respond

By Femi Ajiboye,

In the early hours of Tuesday, a destructive inferno ravaged at least five shops in the Oke-Owode area of Ogbomoso, Oyo state, resulting in the loss of goods worth millions of naira.

Among the affected establishments were two palm kernel processing plants, a business centre, a furniture shop, a photo studio, and a fruit shop.

Victims of the fire expressed frustration at the lack of timely assistance from the Oyo State Fire Service, located approximately a kilometre away to the scene of fire outbreak.

According to Waliyat Mutiu, one of the affected individuals, they sought help from the fire station but were informed that the vehicle was not operational due to a fault.

As a result of the delayed response, an estimated N50 million worth of goods and properties, including containers and sheds, were consumed by the flames, victims claimed.

Mutiu recounted the devastating losses, including 30 drums of palm kernel oil valued at N200,000 each, an oil extracting machine worth N3 million, and numerous unprocessed palm kernels.

Efforts to extinguish the fire were made by sympathetic bystanders who fetched water from a distance, but unfortunately, little could be salvaged.

The cause of the fire remains unknown as of the time of filing this report.

Efforts to obtain comments from Oyo Fire Service substation office at Oja’gbo were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.