The gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Oyo State, Adebiyi Adedapo, has demanded an independent investigation into the Sunday night fire that razed Oranyan Market in Ibadan, describing it as yet another warning sign of the vulnerability of markets across the state.
In a personally signed statement, Adedapo sympathised with traders, artisans and families affected by the blaze, noting that many victims had lost years of savings and hard work invested in their businesses, dealing a serious blow to their economic survival.
The NNPP candidate said the Oranyan fire should not be viewed in isolation, pointing to a string of market fires recorded across Oyo State, particularly in Ibadan, since 2023.
He recalled that a fire at Araromi Spare Parts Market, Agodi Gate, in January 2023 destroyed 45 shops, 20 houses, nine electricity poles, a transformer and a community borehole, while another fire affected 15 shops at Temidire Market, Apete, later that month.
He also cited fires at Bodija International Market and Agbeni Market in 2023, followed by blazes at Sango Market, Oranyan Market and Moniya Farmers’ Market in 2024.
Adedapo said the December 2024 fire at Moniya Farmers’ Market, popularly known as Oja Agbe, further heightened concerns over electrical safety in commercial areas, while the September 2024 fire at Oranyan Market affected more than 40 shops in the herbal section, destroying goods worth millions of naira.
He noted that the situation worsened in 2025, when the Aleshinloye Market fire destroyed more than 500 shops and stalls, with losses running into hundreds of millions of naira. Another fire at Araromi Market, Agodi Gate, in April 2025 destroyed at least 12 shops, while 2026 has witnessed further fires at Ogunpa Market, the NIPOST Shopping Complex in Dugbe and Bode Market.
“How many more market fires must occur before the authorities treat market safety as a matter of urgent public policy?” Adedapo queried.
He called for a comprehensive investigation into the Oranyan inferno to determine its cause, how it spread, the adequacy of the emergency response, and whether failures involving electrical installations, market structures, access roads, firefighting equipment, water supply or refuse management contributed to the scale of destruction.
“Any individual or institution found negligent should be held accountable in accordance with the law,” he said.
Adedapo urged the authorities to conduct a comprehensive fire and safety audit of major markets across Oyo State, particularly those with overcrowded structures, inadequate access routes, combustible materials, poor electrical installations and limited firefighting facilities.
“Regular electrical inspections, accessible emergency routes, proper refuse management, fire extinguishers, hydrants and emergency drills should become standard requirements,” he added.
The NNPP candidate also called for urgent investment in the Oyo State Fire Service, including functional fire trucks, adequate personnel, firefighting equipment, reliable water supplies and improved rapid-response capacity.
He further appealed to the government to provide immediate assistance to fire victims through a transparent assessment of losses and a structured relief and reconstruction programme.
He said the repeated market fires between 2023 and 2026 should serve as a warning that Oyo State needs a coordinated, long-term policy on market safety, urban planning and emergency management.
“The people of Oyo State deserve markets where they can work, trade and provide for their families without living under the constant fear of another preventable disaster,” Adedapo said.
