A catastrophic fire has engulfed 17 shops at the Moniya Market in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, leaving traders counting their losses.

The fire, which broke out at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Monday, is believed to have been caused by a power surge. Though the fire service arrived promptly, the damage was already severe, with goods and millions of naira in cash destroyed.

Kolawole Balogun, the Babaloja of Moniya Garage, expressed his shock and dismay at the scale of the disaster.

He said, “I rushed to the market as soon as I got the call. We lost multimillion-naira goods. The prompt arrival of the fire service prevented even greater devastation.”

The fire not only destroyed the traders’ goods but also claimed substantial sums of money, as many traders reportedly keep cash stored in their shops overnight.

Balogun added, “In addition to the goods, cash in millions of naira was also destroyed. Many traders often store their money in their shops when they leave for the night.”

Victims of the fire, including Yetunde Musa, Ajetunmobi Idowu, Olaide Badmus, Balogun Sulaimon, and Ajetunmobi Kolawole, have called on the government to provide immediate relief for those affected by the disaster.

The traders’ livelihoods are now at risk as they face the daunting task of rebuilding their businesses.

“We need urgent help,” said one of the victims, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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