Fire engulfs Lagos market, goods worth millions lost

A devastating fire erupted at the Idumota underbridge market in the Ebute Ero area of Lagos, destroying goods valued at hundreds of millions of naira.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday. Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, provided details about the fire, which occurred late Friday night.

“Following distress calls via the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines at 2220hrs, LASEMA activated its emergency response teams from Lekki, Cappa, and the Command and Control Centre, Alausa, Ikeja,” said Oke-Osanyintolu.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene at 10:55 p.m. to find multiple buildings, primarily used as shops for car spare parts, engulfed in flames. While the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, no casualties or injuries were reported.

“Properties and goods worth hundreds of millions of naira were destroyed by the inferno,” he added.

LASEMA collaborated with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, and law enforcement agencies to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby structures.

“The law enforcement agencies present at the incident scene also activated crowd measures to ensure all-round safety at the incident scene,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.