A fire outbreak on Saturday affected a shop in a multi-purpose building along Pakata Road in the Ita-Ogunbo area of Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
The incident was confirmed in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, who disclosed that the emergency was reported at about 11:09 a.m.
“The Kwara State Fire Service responded to a fire outbreak at No. 61 Pakata Road, Ita-Ogunbo Area, Ilorin, Kwara State, at about 11:09hrs on Saturday, 11th April 2026,” the statement read.
The fire, which involved a building housing eight rooms and five shops, initially sparked panic among occupants and nearby residents.
“The incident involved a building comprising eight rooms and five shops, out of which one shop was affected by the fire,” the PRO added.
Firefighters were said to have arrived promptly at the scene and acted decisively to contain the flames before they could escalate into a larger disaster.
“Our firefighters promptly arrived at the scene and, through swift intervention, successfully contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to other shops, rooms, and nearby properties,” Adekunle stated.
Preliminary findings by the agency indicated that the fire outbreak was triggered by an electrical fault linked to unstable power supply.
“Investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a power surge, which ignited combustible materials within the affected shop,” he said.
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, urged residents and business operators to adopt safety measures to guard against similar incidents.
“I urge residents and business owners to ensure the use of standard electrical installations, install surge protectors, and avoid leaving electrical appliances unattended during unstable power supply.” Muhammed said.
He stressed the need to equip premises with portable fire extinguishers for early response.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, while calling on the public to remain vigilant.
The PUNCH had reported a rise in fire incidents across the state, especially a recent inferno in March that destroyed three containerised shops at Eyenkorin Roundabout in Asa Local Government Area.
