A midnight fire outbreak has destroyed goods worth millions of naira at Sabo Market in Ikorodu, Lagos, affecting 17 shops before emergency responders successfully contained the blaze.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said the fire broke out at about 1:10 a.m. on Tuesday and engulfed a row of shops within the market.
According to the agency on Tuesday, preliminary investigations suggest the fire started in one of the shops before spreading to adjoining shops. The suspected cause of the incident is an electrical surge, as power supply was active when the fire broke out.
LASEMA said its Tiger Squad, working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, quickly launched firefighting operations, preventing the inferno from spreading to other parts of the market and nearby properties.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufem Oke-Osanyintolu, said a post-incident assessment revealed that 17 of the 32 shops in the affected section of the market were damaged. Provisions, groceries, foodstuffs and other valuable merchandise were destroyed in the blaze.
According to him, despite the extensive property damage, no deaths or injuries were recorded.
He noted that the remaining shops within the affected row, as well as adjoining shops, were largely saved due to the swift response of emergency personnel.
Oke-Osanyintol commended the professionalism and coordinated efforts of its Tiger Squad and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service for preventing what could have been a much larger disaster.
He urged market leaders, traders and residents to prioritize electrical safety by ensuring proper wiring of shops, avoiding the overloading of electrical appliances, and carrying out regular inspections of electrical installations, particularly during periods of power supply.
The agency boss also urged members of the public to promptly report emergencies through the state’s toll-free emergency lines, 112 and 767, for immediate response, while reiterating the government’s commitment to protecting lives, property and livelihoods across the state.