Four elderly people were evacuated by some Good Samaritans from the house as thick smoke engulfed the traditional building.

The Kwara State Fire Service however said that no one was injured in the incident which lasted for more than one hour before its men put out the raging fire.

Head of Media and Publicity of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, said the fire incident which started from a refuse dump in the morning, was put out around 11:08am by the state firefighters.

“The Kwara State Fire Service operatives responded to a fire incident at Megida Onikanhun Compound, Edun Isale, Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State on Monday, January 15, 2024.

“The firefighters, upon arrival, found the entire compound and Edun Market engulfed in flames due to a late call. To enhance firefighting efforts, part of the fence was dismantled for better access.

“Investigation revealed that an unknown person had ignited refuse, initially mistaken for harmless smoke. Unfortunately, it spread to the nearby compound.

“The  incident left over 120 occupants homeless, affecting 44 rooms and a mosque in the 75-room Magaji Onikanhun Compound. Fortunately, there were no casualties”, he said.

“The Federal Fire Service and officers from the Department of Disaster Management of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and State Emergency Management Agency were present at the scene. The NSCDC officers ensured crowd control to prevent potential looting, safeguarding both market goods and the firefighters”, he said.