Jankara Market Fire: Oyo Govt Assures Traders of Intervention

…As Acting Governor says no life was lost as government begins assessment of shops, stalls and properties destroyed by inferno.

The Oyo State Government has assured traders and shop owners affected by the fire outbreak at Jankara Iso Arobo Market in Oranyan, Ibadan, that it will provide necessary support to cushion the effects of the disaster.

The Acting Governor of the state, Barrister Bayo Lawal, gave the assurance on Monday during an assessment visit to the market to ascertain the extent of damage caused by the inferno.

Lawal, who was received by the Babaloja General of Oyo State, Alhaji Yekeen Abbas, and other market leaders, described the destruction as enormous.

He, however, thanked God that no life was lost in the incident, stressing that the government would not relent in its efforts to support the affected traders.

The Acting Governor said the visit was aimed at obtaining first-hand information on the number of stalls, shops and traders affected, with a view to facilitating intervention from the Oyo State and Federal Governments.

On the cause of the fire, Lawal said no definite explanation had been established, noting that nobody at the scene could ascertain what triggered the inferno.

As of the time of the visit, traders and shop owners were still at the market assessing the damage, taking stock of their losses and discussing the impact of the incident on their businesses.

The Acting Governor was accompanied by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade; Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives, Professor Saliu Adelabu; and officials of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.