An early morning fire has destroyed several shops at the popular Oranya Market in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The fire reportedly started around midnight in the middle of the market, destroying shops and goods belonging to traders.

Eyewitnesses said about 300 shops were affected, with traders dealing in gold, furniture, second-hand clothes and other goods among those who suffered losses.

One of the traders, identified as Iya Alia, said the fire started around midnight but she could not give the exact time.

Another eyewitness described the incident as devastating, saying the scale of destruction was difficult to quantify.

However, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services, Morof Akinwande, confirmed the incident but said the exact number of shops destroyed could not yet be established.

Akinwande said the fire started in the middle of the market following an explosion, although it was too early to determine whether the explosion was caused by gas or another source.

He said firefighters had brought the situation under control by 1 a.m., preventing the fire from spreading further.

The fire service chairman said an assessment would be conducted to determine the number of shops and the extent of property destroyed.

The incident comes barely two days after another fire destroyed nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway shopping complex near Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan, with goods and other property worth millions of naira reportedly lost.

A similar fire also occurred at the herbal section of the market in 2024, when more than 200 shops were reportedly destroyed.