Fire razes Balogun market in Lagos

Goods worth billions of naira were on Monday destroyed by fire which razed down some shops in the Balogun market area of Lagos. 

 The fire completely razed down the cosmetics, and hair ‘attachment’ section of the market.

 The affected properties are located along Issah Williams Street, off Breadfruit Street, Balogun Market. 

 Both state and federal government rescue teams worked tirelessly for hours to contain the fire, which was finally brought under control around 4 pm.  

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Ibrahim Farinloye, the territorial coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the South West region, confirmed the incident.  

He said the fire consumed 20 built-up shops, three warehouses, and 16 attachments within a three-storey building, affecting approximately 86 traders in total. 

Farinloye noted that the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, but there were concerns raised by market leaders about the excessive use of power generators within the building. 

 Alhaja Kemi Gbajumo, the Iya Oloja of the affected section, and Prince Adewunmi Balogun, the Baba Oja of the Breadfruit Balogun market, expressed deep sorrow over the losses suffered.  

They said many traders had recently restocked their shops using bank facilities, and without insurance coverage, they face significant challenges in recovering from this devastating setback.