On Wednesday afternoon, properties worth millions of naira were destroyed when a fire engulfed several wooden shanties at Tejuosho Market in the Yaba area of Lagos State.
Fortunately, no lives were lost, and no injuries were reported at the time of publication.
The fire reportedly broke out at around 12:30 pm in the market located along Tejuosho Canal, which includes both shops and residences.
The blaze began in a room where a community member had left food unattended on a gas cooker.
It quickly spread to multiple wooden structures along the canal, causing panic as residents fled for safety.
Emergency responders, including LASEMA, Lagos Fire Service, Nigeria Police, Lagos Neighbourhood Security Watch, and others, were on the scene to combat the fire.
Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, and Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, stated that the fire was under control and rescue operations were ongoing.
Oke-Osanyintolu reported, “Upon arrival at the incident scene, it was discovered that several wooden shanties along Tejuosho Canal were gutted by fire. Firefighting efforts are ongoing to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings such as NTA, Oba Tejuosho House, and other residential estates in the area. Rescue operations are still in progress.”
