A late-night fire on Wednesday gutted part of the popular Oba Market in Benin City, Edo State, marking the second fire incident at the market in just five years.
The Chairman of Oredo Local Government Area, Engr. Gabriel Iduseri, who confirmed the incident, said the fire was caused by a malfunctioning solar panel in one of the shops under reconstruction.
According to eyewitnesses, smoke was first noticed around 10 p.m. from a section of the market where ongoing reconstruction work is taking place. Traders and local vigilantes in the area quickly raised the alarm and joined efforts to stop the fire from spreading.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Oba Market Police Station was also said to have led officers to the scene, promptly contacting the fire service. Firefighters arrived shortly after and worked with locals to contain the fire after about three hours.
Addressing journalists during an inspection of the affected area on Thursday morning, Engr. Iduseri said only one shop was destroyed and praised the rapid response from firefighters, police, and residents.
“We learnt that a solar panel caused the fire,” he said. “We will suspend all ongoing solar panel installations in the market and conduct a full inspection of electrical systems to prevent a future occurrence.”
He added that no lives were lost in the incident, and the damage was minimal, thanks to the quick intervention of security and emergency teams.
“The Oredo Local Government was fully on ground to prevent looting, and we will support the affected traders so they can return to business quickly,” he assured.
