Aleshinloye Traders Demand Functional Fire Station After Market Blaze
Traders at Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan have voiced their frustration over the absence of a functional fire station within the market, which houses approximately 2,000 shops.
Their concerns were raised following a fire incident on Tuesday that destroyed goods worth millions of naira. The traders, particularly those dealing in plastic materials, attributed the extensive damage to the lack of immediate firefighting intervention.
Mr Lukman Balogun, a trader at the market, lamented that the office of the Oyo State Fire Service within the premises was being used for storage rather than emergency response.
“When the fire started around 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, we called the fire service station within the market, but they told us they had no equipment and had to contact their headquarters. By the time help arrived, the damage was already severe,” he said.
Mr AbdulLateef Atobatele, another affected trader, described the situation as unfortunate, stating that a functional fire station could have prevented the fire from escalating.
In response, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Dr Moroof Akinwande, expressed sympathy for the victims. He explained that while officials at the market’s fire station responded promptly by contacting the headquarters, the agency faced challenges in maintaining firefighting trucks.
“Hoodlums have attacked and destroyed at least four of our firefighting trucks in the past year due to their emotions during fire incidents. If not for the presence of security agents, more of our equipment could be at risk,” Akinwande said.
The traders are now urging Governor Seyi Makinde to establish a fully operational fire station at the market to prevent future disasters.
