A fire outbreak that began in the early hours of Tuesday engulfed several shops at Owode Market in Offa, Kwara State.
A video of the incident seen by SaharaReporters captured the moment some of the shop owners were mourning as they watched their property destroyed by the fire.
“This fire is too much. This is not caused by electricity. Maybe some people were cooking and the fire started from there because this fire is much,” one of the traders said in the video.
A source from the town on Tuesday morning said the fire was eventually quenched by personnel of the Federal Fire Service and Kwara State Fire Service.
The source added that no fewer than five shops were affected by the inferno.
“The authorities are still assessing the situation, but personally, I know at least five shops were affected. The worth of goods and property destroyed can’t be said now until the assessment ends.
“There are also several claims as to the cause of the fire until we wait for the fire service to release their statement on it,” the source said.
Recall barely eight months ago, there was a report about a midnight fire that razed a residential building in the town and destroyed property worth N6.5m.
The incident that occurred at about 1:05am at Kowope compound, Olorunkuse area, Offa, affected a two- bedroom flat and four shops.
In December, no fewer than 14 shops were reportedly razed by fire in two incidents that occurred in the Tanke area of Ilorin in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State.
At least, seven shops at Zion Overcomer, Opposite Duro Suleiman house, University Road, Tanke, were reportedly burnt while the second incident also occurred at Tanke Oke-Odo area on University Road at about 1.30 a.m.where another seven shops were destroyed by fire.
The source added that no fewer than five shops were affected by the inferno.
“The authorities are still assessing the situation, but personally, I know at least five shops were affected. The worth of goods and property destroyed can’t be said now until the assessment ends.
“There are also several claims as to the cause of the fire until we wait for the fire service to release their statement on it,” the source said.