Aleshinloye Market Fire Victims Cry Out to Governor Makinde Over Reallocation of Shops to Outsiders
…Traders Give Oyo Government Seven Days to Address Grievances, Demand Priority in Allocation of Reconstructed Shops
Traders whose shops were destroyed by fire at Aleshinloye Plastic and Cooler Market in Ibadan have appealed to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to stop the alleged sale and reallocation of newly reconstructed government shops to outsiders.
The traders, who raised the alarm on Monday, gave the state government seven days to address their grievances, warning that failure to act could provoke a strong reaction from the affected traders.
In a statement signed by the chairman, Mrs Taiwo Lawal, and secretary, Mrs Sola Osifala, alongside other leaders, including Mrs Iyiola, Mrs Oladipupo and Mrs Bunmi Adebayo, the traders alleged that agents handling the allocation of the reconstructed shops were sidelining the original owners displaced by the fire.
According to the statement, the traders are concerned that the allocation process could prevent genuine victims from reclaiming their shops.
They described the alleged development as a breach of the initial agreement with the Oyo State Government, which they said assured them that priority would be given to original shop owners affected by the fire.
The traders alleged that third-party developers or agents said to have been appointed by the state government were treating the newly constructed facilities as speculative real estate, offering them for sale to wealthy individuals and outsiders who were not victims of the fire incident.
They also recalled that they had been prevented from independently financing the renovation of their shops, only to face the possibility of losing their trading spaces permanently following the government’s redevelopment of the market.
The affected traders appealed to Makinde to intervene urgently, halt all ongoing sales or allocations to external buyers and establish a transparent verification panel to ensure that genuine fire victims regain their shops without excessive financial barriers.
They also called on prominent traditional leaders and other stakeholders in Ibadanland to intervene, including the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja; the Babaloja of Ibadanland, Alhaji Y.K. Abass; Alhaji Adebayo; and the Iyaloja of Ibadanland, Chief Ameringun.
The fire outbreak occurred on the night of Tuesday, March 11, 2025, destroying a major section of the plastic and rubber goods area of Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan. The fire reportedly started between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., with plastic merchants and cooler sellers suffering the heaviest losses.
Although no deaths were recorded, a few traders reportedly sustained minor injuries. While initial estimates put the number of affected shops at more than 500, subsequent verification by the affected traders and the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (Oyo SEMA) placed the number of directly affected shop owners at about 90.
Following the incident, Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal and Governor Makinde met with the affected traders, pledged relief support, ordered a proper enumeration of victims through Oyo SEMA and announced plans to restructure the market to prevent future occurrences.
The governor also reportedly assured the traders that they would receive priority consideration for shops after the market’s reconstruction to an ultra-modern standard.
The traders are now demanding that the government honour that assurance by ensuring that the original victims are given priority in allocating the reconstructed shops.
They warned that the government has seven days to address the alleged irregularities and resolve the dispute, failing which they would consider further action.