No fewer than 48 shops were destroyed in an early morning fire that gutted the Elegushi Model Market complex in the Lekki area of Lagos State on Sunday.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency received a distress call at about 2 a.m. and immediately deployed emergency responders to the scene.
He said the market complex was already engulfed in flames on arrival, but swift intervention by emergency personnel helped to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings.
According to Oke-Osanyintolu, preliminary investigations showed that the fire started from one of the makeshift stalls within the market and later spread to the main building, although the exact cause of the outbreak was yet to be determined.
He added that no life was lost and no injuries were recorded during the incident.
A post-disaster assessment confirmed that 48 shops were affected by the fire. The LASEMA boss said coordinated efforts by all relevant stakeholders ensured the fire was completely extinguished.
Oke-Osanyintolu said traders were sensitised on fire prevention and management measures, urging market leaders to install fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and fire alarms in strategic locations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
