The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised traders at Dosumu Market in Idumota, Lagos, to bolster the security infrastructure of the market to safeguard their lives and properties.

In an interview at the site of the fire incident, Ibrahim Farinloye, the Lagos Territorial Coordinator of NEMA, highlighted that the metal protectors used to secure the shops hindered the efforts of firefighters in extinguishing the fire.

Farinloye mentioned that after the Mandilas fire incident, NEMA and other key stakeholders engaged in advocacy for disaster risk reduction in major markets on Lagos Island.

He further revealed that the agency had requested traders to contribute funds for the installation of water hydrants around the market to handle fire emergencies, but they declined to comply.

Confirming the extent of the fire, Farinloye stated that four buildings were engulfed, with two of them already collapsed due to the intensity of the inferno.

Mrs Margaret Adeseye, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, reported that her team received information about the incident at around 7:41 am and immediately dispatched firefighters to the scene.

Adeseye acknowledged that the presence of a large crowd at the incident site posed a challenge for firefighters to access the buildings. Additionally, the existence of high-tension electrical cables around the affected structures further complicated their efforts.