A fire outbreak in the early hours of Tuesday destroyed a one-storey commercial building housing computer and accessories dealers at Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos, leading to the loss of goods estimated at millions of naira.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that it received a distress call at about 1:55 a.m. via the state’s 767/112 toll-free emergency lines. The alert triggered the immediate activation of the state’s emergency response from the Command and Control Centre in Alausa.
LASEMA officials said response teams arrived at the scene around 2:15 a.m. and met the building already engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing from the structure.
In a preliminary incident report signed by the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the agency explained that the nature of the items stored in the building worsened the situation.
“The affected one-storey commercial building was used mainly for the storage and sale of computers and accessories. Responders observed active flames and dense smoke, indicating intense combustion, which was aided by the high volume of combustible materials,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
The agency noted that the entire upper floor of the building was completely razed, with all goods stored there destroyed, while the structure itself was partially compromised and would require further assessment.
“All goods and properties worth millions of naira kept in the affected section of the building were completely destroyed by the fire,” the statement added.
On casualties, LASEMA confirmed that no lives were lost in the incident.
However, one firefighter from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service sustained minor injuries while battling the blaze.
“No fatalities were recorded. One firefighter sustained minor injuries during the operation and was administered first aid treatment on site by the Lagos State Ambulance Service,” the agency said.
LASEMA also disclosed that the cause of the fire had not yet been determined and remained under investigation. It added that a multi-agency response involving the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASAMBUS and the Nigeria Police Force helped prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
“Firefighting operations successfully contained the fire within the affected building, preventing escalation to adjoining structures, while damping-down operations were carried out to avoid re-ignition,” the agency stated.
The emergency agency further recommended a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident, a structural integrity assessment of the affected building and a review of fire safety measures and storage practices across Computer Village.
