Over 17 shops were destroyed in an early morning fire that swept through Sabo Market in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State on Tuesday.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Olawale Afolabi, disclosed in a statement that the fire broke out at about 1:10 a.m. and was successfully contained before it spread to other sections of the market.
According to Afolabi, investigations indicated that the inferno originated in one of the shops before spreading to adjoining stalls.
“The immediate cause is suspected to be an electrical surge, as the outbreak reportedly occurred while the power supply was active,” the agency said.
He stated that emergency responders from LASEMA and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service promptly began firefighting operations, preventing the blaze from spreading to a greater tragedy.
According to him, a post-incident evaluation revealed that 17 of the 32 stores in the impacted area of the market were damaged, with provisions, groceries, commodities, and other products destroyed.
He added, “Fortunately, no loss of life or injuries were recorded. The remaining shops within the affected row, as well as adjoining shops in the market, were largely salvaged due to the timely response of emergency teams.
“Recovery operations have now been successfully concluded, and the LASEMA Response Team has returned to base.”
Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, advised market leaders, traders, and citizens to prioritise electrical safety by properly wiring shops, avoiding overloading electrical appliances, and conducting regular inspections of electrical installations.
Residents should also report emergencies as soon as possible by dialling 112 or 767, the state’s toll-free emergency numbers.
He also asked residents to use the state’s toll-free emergency numbers, 112 and 767, to report emergencies as soon as possible.
The tragedy occurred only three days after a three-storey residential building in the state’s Ikosi district was destroyed by fire.
