Assets worth millions of naira were destroyed on Saturday when a fire outbreak razed a six-room residential building in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, triggering panic among residents and raising fresh concerns over fire safety in densely populated neighbourhoods.
The incident occurred at Kosi Koro Compound in the Oja-Igbo area of the city, where thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, drawing anxious onlookers as flames tore through the ageing structure. Eyewitnesses said the blaze spread rapidly, overwhelming occupants and neighbours who made frantic efforts to salvage belongings before the fire consumed the property.
Confirming the development, Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Hon. Maroof Akinwande, said the agency received a distress call and promptly deployed firefighters to the scene. By the time emergency responders arrived, however, the building, described as an old residential structure, had already been engulfed in flames.
“On getting to the scene, it was an ancient residential building of six rooms covered with flames and thick smoke,” Akinwande said, underscoring the intensity of the inferno.
According to him, officers immediately swung into action to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to adjoining buildings in the tightly packed community.
The proximity of neighbouring houses, many of them constructed decades ago with combustible materials, heightened fears that the fire could escalate into a larger disaster.
“Our officers quickly swung into action and subdued and restricted the fire from spreading to surrounding buildings and properties,” he added.
Although no casualty was recorded, the material losses were extensive. Household items, electronics, furniture and other valuables were reduced to ashes in a matter of minutes. For the affected families, the destruction represents not just financial loss but the erasure of years of investment and personal memories.
Preliminary findings by the fire service traced the cause of the incident to a gas cooker left unattended. The unattended appliance reportedly ignited nearby combustible materials, setting off the blaze that ultimately consumed the six-room building.
“The fire incident was as a result of a gas cooker unattended to, ignited to nearby combustibles and set the building on fire,” Akinwande explained.
The fire chief also lauded officers of the Nigeria Police Force from the Agugu Division for providing security during the operation, noting that effective crowd control enabled firefighters to carry out their duties without obstruction.
“The Nigeria Police Agugu Division was highly commendable for the absolute security provided during the firefighting operation,” he said.
The incident has once again spotlighted the vulnerability of older residential buildings in Ibadan’s inner-city districts, where limited access routes and ageing infrastructure often complicate emergency response efforts. Residents have been urged to adopt precautionary measures, particularly in the handling of cooking gas and other flammable materials.
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