Grandex Supermarket, Bodija, Ibadan, a grocery and households shop belonging to Chief Florence, wife of the former Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, was gutted by fire.
It was learnt that the fire outbreak started from the back of the supermarket around 3pm on Sunday. It later spread to the main store.
Those in the neighbourhood were said to have rallied round to fetch water and bring fire extinguishers to quell the fire before the arrival of fire fighters.
Personnel of the Oyo State Fire Service in collaboration with men of the Federal Fire Service later extinguish the fire.
Those whose vehicles were parked in the vicinity were seen scrambling to move them away to avoid being torched.
A part of the grocery and household store was, however damaged while lots of wares were recovered from the unaffected part of the building.
An eyewitness who gave his name as Bamidele Osinlowo, said, “The fire started at about 3pm. When we heard the shouts by the workers, I immediately called the Oyo State Fire Service.
“Within 10minutes, they arrived with a bigger truck. We moved in to join them to bring extinguishers. Somebody from Zenith Bank brought one Another person brought from Afe Babalola Educational Centre, Bodija.”
Osinlowo said but for the absence of fire extinguisher in the supermarket, the fire would have been put out on time.
Mrs Ajimobi was said to have visited the scene to assess the level of damage at the supermarket.
Some of her aides later joined in evacuating goods from the stores with some personnel of Operation Burst on hand to repel hoodlums from looting the supermarket.
A personnel of the Federal Fire Service, who spoke with journalists under the condition of anonymity, attributed the incident to electrical sparks and overloading of electrical sockets.
