Fire Razes Popular Ilorin Market

A late-night fire on Friday devastated several shops at Olusola Saraki Market, Ita-Amo, in Ilorin, Kwara State, destroying property worth millions of naira.

The inferno, which began around 9 p.m., was reportedly triggered by a power surge linked to fluctuating electricity from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC). Eyewitnesses said seven shops, including those selling clothing materials, meat, and provisions in the popular Ilorin market, were consumed by the fire before it was brought under control.

Confirming the incident on Saturday, Hassan Adekunle, spokesperson for the Kwara State Fire Service, lauded the swift response of firefighters, who prevented further disaster by saving 269 shops from being engulfed.

“On Friday, January 10, 2025, at about 9:36 p.m., we received a distress call about a fire outbreak at Olusola Saraki Market Ilorin. Our team acted swiftly and managed to contain the fire, limiting the damage to seven shops out of the 276 in the market,” Adekunle stated.

He attributed the fire to a suspected power surge, as reported by market security personnel.

In another development, Nigeria experienced its first nationwide blackout of the year on January 11 following the collapse of the national power grid.

The grid collapse, which occurred around 3 p.m., caused a drastic drop in electricity generation from 2,111 MW earlier in the day to a mere 390 MW, leaving millions of homes and businesses in darkness.

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