Traders in Despair, as Fire Guts Popular Market in Kwara

In the early hours of Tuesday, a devastating fire swept through the Owode Market in Offa, Kwara State, leaving several traders to face the wreckage of their livelihoods.

Eyewitnesses, visibly disturbed, were captured in a circulating video, mourning the destruction of their properties. Amid the confusion, speculation about the cause of the fire was rampant. One trader suggested, “This isn’t an electrical fault. Perhaps the blaze was ignited by cooking activities, given the intensity of the fire observed.”

Efforts to quell the flames saw the combined forces of the Federal Fire Service and the Kwara State Fire Service springing into action. According to a local informant, at least five shops suffered in the blaze. “It’s still early to quantify the losses,” he noted, indicating that a comprehensive assessment was underway.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with various theories circulating among the market community. This incident adds to a growing list of fire-related tragedies in the area, including a significant fire eight months prior that devastated a residential building and several shops, causing substantial financial loss.