Fire razes Oko Oba plank market in Lagos

The Oko Oba plank market in Ebute Metta, Lagos has been razed down by fire.

​At the time of this report, the fire which started at about the close of work, ​was still raging and threatening to spread into nearby Makoko, a community of stilt houses by the banks of the Lagos Lagoon.

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

A witness, Maureen Alasa, who took pictures of the burning timber market from the Third Mainland Bridge on her way from work​, ​said she saw one fire truck heading towards the scene.

“I saw the huge fire. Dark smoke everywhere and my concern was about houses in the area. Fire fighters would have a hard time putting it out except its gonna be done by air,” she said.

“I only saw one fire truck heading towards the scene and they were obviously late,” she added.

The Spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency in the state, Ibrahim Farinloye, told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone that the fire started about 6:15 p.m. He said that the fire service ha​d​ been able to put out the fire.

“The fire service have put it out. It is hard to tell the extent of the damage and the number of houses burnt. The place is a shanty and nobody can tell how many houses are there,” he said.