Traders and shop owners at the popular phone village in Ilorin Challenge market, suffered massive losses as a fierce fire tore through their stalls, leaving many helpless and displaced.
The fire erupted, spreading rapidly through multiple shops and destroying goods worth millions of naira, despite desperate efforts by locals to salvage their merchandise.
As gathered, the blaze ravaged a section of the challenge Market, a bustling commercial hub in Kwara State, turning thriving businesses into ashes.
A phone dealer in the market said the inferno was triggered by a power surge, adding that although the market houses over 120 shops and 80 kiosks, firefighters were able to limit the damage to just 10 kiosks.
The spokesperson for the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, said on Thursday that the fire started around 9:06 p.m. and primarily affected phone retail and repair shops.
“When our team arrived, several kiosks were already engulfed, however, with swift and tactical efforts, we prevented a wider spread,” he said.
While many are counting their losses after goods worth millions of naira were destroyed, local traders praised the firefighters for their prompt response and effective control measures that helped avert a larger disaster.
The Fire Service Director, Falade Olumuyiwa, meanwhile, has extended his condolences to those affected, expressing hope that their losses would be restored many times over.
