• Akinola market, a popular food commodity market in Ipetumodu, Osun State, was ravaged by a late-night fire.
• The fire started at the yam section and spread to other areas, destroying food items worth millions of naira.
• The incident occurred after shop owners set fire to dirt and failed to extinguish it before leaving the market.

Akinola market, a bustling food commodity market in Ipetumodu, Osun State, suffered a catastrophic late-night fire that destroyed food items worth millions of naira. The market, which operates weekly on Fridays, was severely damaged in the incident.

Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started at the yam section of the market after sales on Friday and quickly spread to other areas, fueled by strong winds. Despite efforts to contain the blaze, the fire raged on, destroying a significant portion of the market.

Kehinde Adeleke, spokesperson for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osun State, confirmed that preliminary investigations revealed the fire was caused by shop owners who set fire to dirt after closing for the day but failed to extinguish it before leaving the market.

The incident has left many shop owners and traders counting their losses, with some estimating the damage to be in the millions. Authorities have promised to provide support to those affected and to investigate the incident further.