The Oyo State Fire Services Agency has recorded two separate emergency response operations in the early hours of Friday, October 16, 2026, rescuing a woman aged over 90 from a 36-foot-deep well in Oyo town and containing a fire that engulfed eight shops at New Garage, Ibadan.
The two incidents, according to reports from the agency, underscore the importance of prompt emergency response and strict adherence to safety precautions to protect lives and property.
In the first incident, the agency rescued the nonagenarian alive after she reportedly fell into a well at Olore Compound, Pakoyi area of Oyo town.
The distress call was received at approximately 4:46 a.m. through the agency’s emergency communication channel and Alhaji Ismail Olore, prompting the immediate deployment of a rescue team led by PFS I Makinde.
On arrival at the scene, the firefighters found the elderly woman inside the well, estimated to be 36 feet deep. The rescue team swiftly commenced operations, using appropriate knots and rescue techniques to safely bring her out alive.
She was subsequently handed over to her family for necessary medical attention.
The rescue team returned to the station at 5:15 a.m. and resumed standby duties.
In a separate incident, the agency responded to a fire outbreak involving a row of shops beside FEM-MESH Oil Filling Station at New Garage, Ibadan, at about 1:27 a.m. on the same day.
The firefighting operation, led by ACFS Adigun, revealed that eight of the 15 lock-up shops in the row had been engulfed by the fire.
The crew immediately commenced firefighting operations and successfully brought the blaze under control, preventing it from spreading to the remaining shops and nearby properties. No casualty was recorded during the operation.
A preliminary investigation suggested that the fire might have been triggered by electrical sparks associated with overhead high-tension lines connected to a substation distribution transformer. Further investigation would be required to establish the exact cause.
The fire engine returned to the station at 4:31 a.m. after the operation and was placed on standby.
Reacting to the incidents, the Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Hon. Dr. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, urged residents to remain vigilant and observe safety precautions in their homes, workplaces and public spaces.
Akinwande particularly advised residents to ensure that wells, pits and other potentially dangerous openings are properly covered, secured or barricaded whenever they are not in use to prevent accidental falls and avoidable loss of life.
He also stressed the need for residents, shop owners, office managers and operators of public and private establishments to install and maintain functional fire extinguishers, noting that early intervention could prevent minor fire outbreaks from escalating into major disasters.
The agency further urged members of the public to report fire outbreaks and other emergencies promptly, providing accurate addresses to facilitate swift intervention.
Emergency Contact Numbers: 08067439223, 08054353501 and 615 (toll-free).
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