A devastating fire swept through Moniya Market in the Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State in the early hours of Monday, destroying goods worth millions of naira. The inferno, which started around 12:30 a.m., is suspected to have been caused by a power surge.
When The PUNCH visited the scene, it was evident that the fire had wreaked havoc, reducing valuable merchandise and even cash stored in the shops to ashes.
Kolawole Balogun, the Babaloja of Moniya Garage, and Saliu Bello, the Garage Chairman, shared that a security guard raised the alarm upon spotting the flames.
“I rushed to the market as soon as I got the call,” Balogun recounted. “The damage is immense—goods worth millions of naira are gone. Fortunately, the quick response from the fire service prevented even greater losses.”
Balogun also noted the heartbreaking loss of cash stored by traders in their shops overnight. “Many shop owners keep their earnings in their stores, and now everything is gone,” he lamented.
Victims of the fire, including Yetunde Musa, Ajetunmobi Idowu, Olaide Badmus, Balogun Sulaimon, and Ajetunmobi Kolawole, have appealed to the government for immediate assistance to help them rebuild their businesses and recover from the tragedy.
