Millions lost as fire razes Lagos, Kwara market

An early morning fire on Wednesday destroyed goods worth several millions of naira in the Alaba Rago Market, Ojo area of Lagos. 

The blaze ravaged a section of the market before emergency responders extinguished it. While no fatalities were reported, a few individuals sustained minor injuries while trying to control the fire. 

According to eyewitnesses, the fire began in the early hours of Wednesday, spreading rapidly due to the dry Harmattan wind. 

One trader, Alhaja Sharafa, lamented the loss of goods worth over N15 million. 

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She said she had taken a loan from a microfinance bank to stock up for yuletide sales, making the losses even more devastating. 

Another trader, Ibrahim, said the fire originated from a canteen in the market.

The Head of Public Affairs for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nosa Okunbor emergency teams managed to extinguish the fire before it caused further damage.

In a related incident, a fire broke out at a sawmill in Odo-Okun, Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, in the early hours of Monday, leaving traders and artisans counting significant losses.

The fire reportedly started around 3 a.m. during a power outage, although the exact cause remains unknown. 

AbdulAzeez Kure, Chairman of the Zone 5 plank sellers, told our correspondent that residents alerted them to the fire shortly after it began. 

Adekunle Atiba, one of the affected plank sellers, recounted how he was called to the scene around 3 a.m. but arrived to find his shop completely consumed by the flames. 

Furniture maker, Olaide Omokehinde estimated his losses at over N50 million, describing the incident as devastating. 

Hassan Adekunle, the spokesperson for the state fire service, confirmed the incident but noted that a detailed report was yet to be released. 

Lagos: Fire destroys N17.49bn worth of property in 2024 

Meanwhile, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, said properties valued at approximately N17.49 billion were lost to fire incidents in Lagos State from January to November 2024. 

She, however, said proactive measures saved properties worth an estimated N104.9 billion during the same period.

Chief Fire Officer of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Olukotun Odunayo, attributed many incidents to poor disaster awareness and preventable actions, such as carelessly discarded cigarettes in markets.