Early morning fire destroys shops in Sango area of Ibadan

A devastating fire outbreak in the early hours of Friday has left at least three shops completely destroyed in the Sango area of Ibadan, Oyo State.

The incident, which occurred around 4:30 am behind the Fart Oil filling station, is believed to have been triggered by an electrical spark.

Sources at the scene suspect the fire originated from a plugged-in freezer, which ignited flammable materials nearby and quickly spread through the row of shops.

According to reports, three out of ten adjoining prefabricated shops were engulfed in flames before officials from the fire service could respond. Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with shop owners arriving too late to salvage their goods.

Yemi Akinyinka, the State General Manager of the Fire Service, confirmed the incident when contacted on Friday.

He said, “The emergency was reported at exactly 04:41 hours on the morning of Friday, May 2, 2025, via a telephone call from CSP Adesina, concerning shops on fire behind the Fart Oil Filling Station, Sango, Ibadan.

“The agency’s personnel, led by ACFS Adedeji (Mrs), were promptly deployed to the scene. On arrival, it was discovered that three shops out of a row of ten prefabricated shops were well alight.

“We swiftly swung into action and prevented the fire from spreading to other shops. The blaze was completely extinguished.

“No casualty was recorded. The fire affected three shops, freezers, and drinks. All nearby shops and property worth millions of naira were saved by officers of the fire service.”

He added that preliminary investigations revealed the fire was caused by sparks from a freezer that had been plugged in overnight and left unattended.