Lagos State Govt Reveals Cause of Alaba Market Fire

The Lagos State Government has revealed that the fire which gutted parts of the Alaba International Market in Ojo was caused by a power surge resulting from negligence by some shop owners. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday evening, destroyed several shops but fortunately recorded no casualties or injuries.

According to a statement issued by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the agency received a distress call at about 7:18 p.m. reporting a fire outbreak at 155 Olojo Drive, opposite Tantalizers, within the Alaba International Market complex. Firefighters from the Ojo and Ijegun-Egba stations were immediately dispatched to the scene.

The statement, signed by the agency’s Senior Public Affairs Officer, Maria Fadairo, noted that preliminary investigations indicated that the fire originated from the top floor of a two-storey building shortly after electricity was restored. The agency attributed the incident to negligence on the part of some shop owners who failed to observe proper electrical safety measures.

Efforts to access the affected section of the building were initially hindered because most of the shops were closed for the day. Firefighters had to force entry into the premises to suppress the flames, a delay which allowed the fire to spread but was eventually contained within the top floor of the structure.

The fire affected shops dealing primarily in furniture and alternative power equipment, as well as a law office. Firefighting operations were concluded at about 10:10 p.m. following the combined efforts of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and officers from the Ojo Police Division.

The Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Abimbola Adeseye, commended the collaborative efforts of all emergency response teams. She reiterated the importance of adhering to fire safety regulations, especially in commercial areas, to prevent future occurrences.

Eyewitness footage from the scene showed thick smoke and flames rising from several plazas near the Ojo Local Government Secretariat as firefighters worked to bring the situation under control.

The Alaba International Market, located along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, is one of West Africa’s largest commercial hubs, known for the sale of electronics, furniture, and building materials. Tuesday’s fire incident occurred just one month after a similar tragedy at Afriland Towers on Broad Street, Lagos Island, which claimed at least ten lives and caused significant property loss.