Massive losses as fire razes Lagos plank market

The Oko-Baba plank market in Ebute-metta, Lagos, was engulfed on Sunday by fire, destroying goods worth millions of naira, an official has said.

Nosa Okunbor, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.

The fire “consumed the main plank market, major parts of the shanties and goods worth millions of naira.”

The Oko Baba market is a sprawling timber market on the Lagos lagoon close to the Third Mainland Bridge.

Mr Okunbor said the service received distress calls regarding the fire outbreak around 10 a.m. on Sunday.

However, he said that there was “no loss of life,” adding, “No injuries sustained.”

“The Agency activated its Cobra Squad from the Onipanu Base and arrived at the incident scene at 11020hrs,” he said.

“Upon arrival at the scene, it was observed that a plank market and shanties spread on a large expanse of land was engulfed by fire.”

The spokesperson said the cause of the fire outbreak could not be ascertained as of the time the statement was compiled.

He noted that the emergency responders contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to adjoining buildings “before it was quickly subdued.”

The timber market has experienced at least three fire incidents in 2015, 2021 and January 2022.

Relocation

The state government made plans to relocate the sawmill market to a permanent site.

In December 2021, the state government began a verification exercise towards the relocation of Oko-Baba Sawmillers to the Timberville, Owu-Ikosi purpose-built facility.

However, a recent court judgement in August has ordered the state government to stop the planned relocation of the timber dealers.

The court’s ruling comes after the traders challenged the state government’s plan to relocate them to Ikosi, which they did not consider as a suitable alternative.

Meanwhile, a human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, urged the state government to obey the court order and halt the relocation plan.

The state government said it embarked on the relocation of the sawmillers to protect the environment and create a more conducive and desirable location for business activity.