Fire guts three-storey building in Lagos
...Capital Oil and Gas to the rescue.

-A three-storey office building managed by estate company, Jide Taiwo and Company, on 80, Wilmer Crescent, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, went up in flames on Tuesday morning.

Mainly affected by the fire were the second and the third floors, which house the office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Christ Embassy Church and others.

Although no life was lost, PUNCH Metro gathered that one person was severely injured when he attempted to put out the fire.

He was said to have inhaled some gaseous elements from the smoke and broke down.

It was further learnt that the victim was taken to an undisclosed hospital at Apapa area of the state.

The cause of the inferno said to have started about 10.30am could not be ascertained but an occupant of the building, who craved anonymity, told PUNCH Metro that the fire started from the ICPC office.

“The fire started from the second floor where ICPC office is. I suspect a kind of sabotage,” the source said.

The security guard in the building, Mr. Julius Akintunde, said the fire took them by a surprise.

He, also claimed that the fire started in the office of the ICPC before spreading to other offices.

Akintunde said, “The fire started in ICPC office on the second floor. We were surprised because there was no power supply to the area (Olodi). No generator was also on. In fact, there was nobody in the office.

“However, some operatives came to the office this morning. The fire started not more than 15 minutes after they had left. When the fire started, one man dashed upstairs, broke the door to see if the fire could be put out; but his face was covered by the thick smoke billowing from the burnt apartments and he broke down.

“He could only escape the fire when we put a ladder for him to come down. Some other people went to assist him. When he came down, he was seriously affected by the inferno and has been taken to a nearby hospital.”

The Managing Director, Romi Import and Export Company, Roseline Iwaka, said she survived by a whisker.

She said as soon as she stepped into her office in the building, she heard people screaming, ‘fire, fire’ and quickly rushed out.

“As I was coming in, I heard ‘fire, fire’ and I ran back. Nothing was destroyed in my office except that the smoke covered all the furniture, electronics and other items that we sell,” Iwaka said.

She said she was disappointed when federal firefighters came to the scene to declare that they did not have water in their vehicles.

“Had they responded immediately, the situation would not have degenerated. Go to the second and third floors, nothing is left. The apartments have been burnt. If not for Capital Oil and Gas Ind.Ltd and the Lagos State Fire Service, the entire building would have been razed. They battled the fire for about five hours before they were able to put it out,” Iwaka said.

A pastor with The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Possibility Assembly, Pastor Sule Adams, decried the attitude of miscreants who cashed in on the situation to loot.

Adams said, “Though our church was not affected, hoodlums showed the devil in them by looting our church. They made away with our money, carried our rice and other items.

“When I saw them, I could not do anything because they were many. It is unfortunate that people who were supposed to sympathise with those in anguish were busy stealing.”

But, the spokesman for the ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamuti, told our correspondent on the telephone that the commission did not have office at Apapa.

“We do not have office at Apapa. The only office we have in Lagos is at Okotie- Eboh,” he said.

 

SIMON UTEBOR - PUNCH