Scene of the incident
An overnight fire in the Ebute Meta area of Lagos has burnt no fewer than 5,000 shanties and destroyed property estimated at millions of naira.
Officials said about 100,000 residents of the area were displaced in the incident which, however, claimed no life.
Our correspondent learnt from residents that the fire started around 8pm on Monday till the early hours of Tuesday.
It was put off by the combined efforts of residents, firemen from the Lagos State Fire Service, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, and men of the National Emergency Management Agency.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the fire began from a building in Coates Street and extended into the Oko Oba Sawmill, consuming all the shanties in the area.
A resident said the fire started as a boy was preparing noodles on the stove.
She said, “The boy was preparing noodles on the stove, close to where there was a generator. There was an explosion and the fire began to spread.”
It was learnt that many of the residents, who had gone to see an European league match, were not around to douse the flame until it became uncontrollable.
The fire was said to have spread to the more than 5,000 shanties in the sawmill and destroyed household property and goods.
A widow and mother of four, who identified herself as Iya Ibadan, explained that she had a shop in the area where she also lived with her children.
She said, “I was recently sent packing from my house after my husband died. I had no other option than to bring my property to this place in December 2013, and together with my children, we had been living here pending when we would get another accommodation.
“This fire has completely razed my property and goods. The little ones that I saved were stolen by hoodlums who pretended to be assisting us.”
Another resident, Abisoye Igbaoreti, said she lost more than N600, 000 worth of goods to the inferno.
“I was selling drinks in my place here and I also slept there with my kids, but since this happened, we have nowhere to go,” she said.
Our correspondent, who moved round the site, saw smokes still billowing from the rubble of the shanties.
Some of the residents were seen trying to salvage some of their property.
A man, Balogun Lamidi said he slept in the mosque with his wife and children after the incident.
The owner of the sawmill, Mr. Moni Titus, said he was not around when the fire started.
He said, “When I got here, the fire had extended to the sawmill. We were helpless and could not do anything. I lost about N4m. Over 2,000 saw millers were also displaced,” he added.
The traditional ruler of Oko Oba community, Chief Musa Jinadu, who claimed that about one million people lived in the area, appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to assist people who had been displaced.
A House of Assembly member representing Lagos Mainland, Bashiru Oloto, said he sympathised with the residents adding that the incident was unfortunate.
“The Assembly is currently on a recess, so it is hard for me to talk about our intervention on this matter. We will see what we can do to help them,” he added.
Another lawmaker, Moshood Oshun, also condoled with the residents.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Razak Fadipe, while confirming the incident said some residents attacked the firemen.
He said, “It was unfortunate that the fire truck from Ilupeju that was deployed to complement the efforts of the other two at the scene had its windscreen smashed by the residents who also manhandled fire service men.”
The NEMA spokesman, South West, Ibrahim Farinloye, said some hoodlums stopped them from working.
The LASEMA General Manager, Dr. Femi Oke-Osayintolu, said the agency was conducting a disaster loss assessment on the area.
PUNCH
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