BY MARY KUYE
No fewer than twenty shops have been gutted by fire on Tuesday at the busy Owode Market in Offa, Kwara State, destroying goods worth millions of naira.
It was gathered that the fire was caused by a power surge from one of the shops in the market.
Hassan Adekunle, the spokesperson of the state’s Fire Service who confirmed the incident said, but for the quick intervention of the fire brigade officers in Offa, the inferno would have razed down the market completely.
He said: “I want to tell you that the intelligence unit of the state fire services is working round the clock to know the immediate and remote causes of the inferno but one cannot rule out the issue of an electric
spark.”
In his reacting to the unfortunate incident Offa Descendants’ Union, (ODU) expressed deep shock over the inferno that gutted Owode market in the town.
ODU spokesperson, Alhaji Maruf Ajenifuja, said: “The extent of the inferno, which allegedly occurred at a location close to Alhaji Sanni Abba House, is yet to be ascertained but the union has deployed relevant officials to the scene of the fire outbreak for more details.
“ODU has made emissaries to the state government in the past for new fire service truck and the upgrade of the Fire Service Station in Offa for efficient fire service delivery in order to safeguard lives and property of our people but we are still awaiting the positive response of the state government.
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“We sincerely hope that our amiable governor will accede to our humble request soonest in order to ameliorate this type of unfortunate fire incident in the future.
“Our fervent prayer is that Almighty God will give all the market men and women that lost valuable goods in this unfortunate fire incident the fortitude to bear the loss.”
