Property worth billions of naira has been destroyed following separate fire outbreaks at Tejuosho Market and the Aluminum Village in Dopemu, Lagos.
The incidents which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, affected a three-storey commercial building in Yaba and several shops and offices within the Aluminum Village along the Abeokuta Expressway in Agege.
Eyewitnesses that spoke with Dailytrust said the fires spread quickly due to the presence of highly flammable materials and the close proximity of shops.
“I was fast asleep when I was woken by intense flames. I tried to get out to see if I could join others to put out the fire, but it was already too intense,” a resident, Mrs Abosede, said.
Margaret Adeseye, the Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed both incidents, noting that emergency responders acted swiftly to contain the fires.
She said the first incident affected parts of the Aluminum Village in Dopemu, destroying multiple shops and offices within a large commercial complex. Firefighters from the Ikeja and Agege stations responded promptly and brought the situation under control.
Adeseye added that the second fire broke out around 3:15 a.m. at a three-storey building on Oyabiyi Street, opposite the Nigeria Labour Congress office in Tejuosho, Yaba.
“The building, which housed shops stocked with textile materials, was completely engulfed by fire,” she said.
She further stated that fire crews from the Somolu, Ilupeju, and Sari Iganmu stations were deployed to the scene and were able to contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading to nearby properties.
The fire service boss commended the swift response of emergency teams, noting that both incidents were contained without any reported casualties. She, however, urged strict adherence to fire safety measures, especially in commercial areas where combustible materials are stored.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the causes of the fires.
