Adelabu donates N5m to victims of Bode Market fire in Ibadan
By Taiwo Scholarstica
A former Minister of Power and governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, on Friday donated N5 million to traders affected by the recent fire outbreak at Bode Market in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.
Adelabu made the donation during a sympathy visit to the market, where he toured the sections destroyed by the fire to assess the extent of the damage and commiserate with the victims.
The fire, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, July 3, 2026, destroyed goods worth millions of naira, leaving several traders counting their losses.
Addressing the affected traders, Adelabu encouraged them not to lose hope, urging them to remain steadfast and trust in God despite the unfortunate incident.
He also called on the appropriate authorities to investigate the cause of the fire and strengthen safety measures in markets across the state to prevent similar occurrences.
He said, “Market men and women are the backbone of our economy. Your interest will always be on my heart. We will continue to stand with you in times like this and ensure you get the necessary support to bounce back.
“We thank God that no life was lost in the incident. I want you to put your mind at rest. When there is life, there is hope. I was so pained when I heard about the fire incident, whatever affects you traders also affects me, because my mother is also a trader. On this note, I am donating N5 million to the affected victims.
“Humanity is part of what pushed me into politics. I want to urge the government to build fire stations across our markets to avert future occurrences like this. The government needs to do something for our markets. Traders, market men and women are very important to the existence of our dear state; they also need care, their population is more than those working at the government Secretariat.
“Government should have rebuilt this market, this market should have a fire station, pipe-borne water, Oyo State Government should have mercy on traders.”
The Babaloja of Bode Market, Alhaji Salawu Oyakojo, and the Iyaloja of the market, Sakirat Makinde, described the incident as devastating, noting that traders lost goods valued at millions of naira.
They expressed appreciation to Adelabu for his financial support and offered prayers for the success of his political ambition.
Some of the affected traders recounted that they were informed of the fire by passers-by and rushed to the market, only to discover that their shops had already been consumed by the flames.
They said years of investment were wiped out within a short period and appealed to the government, corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to provide assistance to help them rebuild their businesses.