By Adeola Badru
Traders at the popular Bode Traditional Herbs and Other Products Market, popularly known as Iso Alagbo, in the Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State, are counting their losses following a devastating fire that swept through the market in the early hours of Friday.
Traditional herbs used in the treatment of various ailments, alongside other valuable goods worth millions of naira, were destroyed in the inferno.
The fire, according to reliable sources, reportedly started in one of the shops before rapidly spreading to adjoining stalls, leaving behind extensive destruction and losses that are yet to be fully quantified.
The affected traders, many of whom gathered in small groups at the market, were still struggling to come to terms with the scale of the devastation.
While some attributed the incident to a power surge, others expressed differing opinions on the possible cause of the fire.
One of the affected traders, who identified herself simply as Mama Kaila, said: “It’s been a long time since we experienced this kind of incident in the market.
“The market leadership always advises us to be careful with the electrical appliances in our various shops. Our losses cannot be quantified. All I can say for now is that they run into millions of naira.
“However, we thank God that no life was lost in the incident. I also thank the officials of the Oyo State Fire Service for their prompt response to the incident.”
Giving his eyewitness account, the market’s youth leader, Adebimpe, said: “We normally resume business here around 7.00 a.m. and close by 7.00 p.m. Whenever the closing bell is rung in the evening, everyone is expected to leave the market.
“Some of us had already returned home when those who live close to the market started calling us at about 10.00 p.m. to inform us that the market was on fire,“ he said.
