A late-night fire outbreak on Wednesday devastated the Challenge Phone Market in Ilorin, Kwara State, destroying goods estimated to be worth millions of naira.
According to the Nigerina Tribune, the incident, which occurred around 9:06 p.m., was reportedly triggered by a power surge, according to preliminary investigations by the Kwara State Fire Service.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started in one of the phone repair shops and quickly spread to adjoining kiosks before firefighters arrived.
Confirming the incident, the Head of Media and Publicity for the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, said, “Our emergency team received a distress call at about 21:06 hours regarding a fire outbreak at Challenge Phone Village. Our crew responded promptly and managed to bring the situation under control.”
He added, “Despite the intensity of the flames, we were able to limit the damage to just 10 kiosks in a market that contains over 120 shops, 80 kiosks, and many roadside stands.”
The affected sections were predominantly occupied by phone dealers and repair technicians, many of whom watched helplessly as their investments went up in flames.
Market leaders and traders praised the swift intervention of the fire service, noting that the damage could have been much worse.
Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John Olumuyiwa, also visited the scene. He expressed sympathy to the victims and assured them of the government’s support.
“We deeply sympathize with the traders and everyone affected. It is our prayer that their losses will be restored in greater measures,” Olumuyiwa said.
The fire service has urged traders to adopt proper electrical safety measures and ensure that power sources are regularly maintained to prevent future occurrences.
