SaharaReporters had reported that several goods and property worth millions of naira have been destroyed after a midnight fire razed the popular Ladipo Plank Market Amukoko, at the Iganmu Road, Orile, area of Lagos State.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has stated that a total of 351 shops and about 1,000 traders have been gravely impacted during the early morning inferno that occurred at the Ladipo Plank Market Fire disaster on the 1st of November, 2023. which started about 1am.
SaharaReporters had reported that several goods and property worth millions of naira have been destroyed after a midnight fire razed the popular Ladipo Plank Market Amukoko, at the Iganmu Road, Orile, area of Lagos State.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA. Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyitolu who confirmed the incident on Wednesday morning, said there was no report of any loss of life.
According to Oke-Osanyitolu, “The agency responded to distress calls and arrived at the above scene of the incident to discover that the plank market was being gutted by fire.
“Fortunately, there is no loss of life. However, goods and property yet to be enumerated have been destroyed due to the inferno.”
However, NEMA in a statement on Thursday said the agency during the post disaster assessment carried out, noted that the located Iganmu Road, Amukoko in Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos had all the stalls destroyed by the fire outbreak.
According to the report, the shops in addition to 25 attachments are said to be accommodatng not less than 5 traders squatting together.
The Secretary of trader's Association, Mr. Sola Oyegoke who conducted the assessment team on behalf of the Baba Loja, Alhaji Ayelabawo Tajudeen related that the market management always switched off electricity supply to the market at 2000 hours and switched it on at 0800 hours every market day.
Oyegoke who could not confirm the actual cause of the incident despite all the precautionary measures put in place to avert such incident. Added that the management ensure that all the premises are thoroughly combed to ensured that no naked fire is left before the closure of the market for the day.
He explained that though the market is referred to as Plank market but it has other artisans who have separate sections such as the tailoring/Fashion designers as well as printers that operates there.
"The Association has a membership lists of 1,058 registered. The assessment also noticed 2 residential buildings close to the market touched by the inferno.
"As at the time of assessment, the traders have cleared all the remains of burnt milling and sewing machines.
"NEMA is imploring Nigerians to be more safety conscious as we are moving into dry season when the atmosphere will be drier with the accompanied challenges," the statement added.