Fire has razed the Oko Baba plank market in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos State.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed this in a statement on Sunday.

LASEMA spokesman, Nosa Okunbor, said officials of the LASEMA Response Team, LRU Fire Unit, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service have embarked on a search and rescue operation at Oko Baba plank market by Ibadan Street, Ebute Metta.

He said the immediate cause of the fire is unknown, adding that no life was lost or injuries sustained as a result of the incident.

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

“The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, received distress calls via the 767 / 112 Toll-Free Emergency lines at 1020hrs.

“The Agency activated it’s Cobra Squad from the Onipanu Base and arrived the incident scene at 11020hrs.

“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 cause and origin of the fire outbreak could not be ascertained as at time of reporting this incident.”

The LASEMA spokesman said that the fire has been completely extinguished as emergency responders have secured the entire area.

According to him, the “dampening down is in progress to prevent re-ignition,” with “occupants enlightened on the dangers, major causes, and ways of preventing fire outbreaks in market areas.”

Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency are currently attending to a fire outbreak at the Oko Baba plank market in the Ebute Metta area of the state.

An X user, Adedeji Olalekan, tweeting as #Stylomedia, disclosed on Sunday that the fire also affected the shanties in the market.

He tweeted, “Okobaba Street is on fire now, all the shanties are burning.”

Confirming the incident in a terse message on WhatsApp, LASEMA’s spokesperson, Nosa Okunbor, said emergency responders are at the scene carrying out a search and rescue operation.

Okunbor said, “LASEMA Response Team, LRU Fire Unit, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service in search and rescue operation at Oko Baba plank market by Ibadan Street, Ebute Metta.”

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Eagled-eyed operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the same export shed of the Lagos airport, on Wednesday 11th September, intercepted some cartons of auto spare parts and checkers powder custard going to Congo Brazzaville on Ethiopian Airlines.

A diligent search of the cargo led to the discovery of 300 grams of cocaine concealed in the containers of checkers powder custard packed together with some auto parts.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, in a statement on Sunday, said a follow up operation led to the arrest of the sender of the consignment, Arinze Ora, who deals in auto parts at Shop 12, Block 7 Aspanda Trade Fair Auto Parts Wing, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos.

Meawhile, in Gombe state, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Saturday 14th September arrested three suspects: Auwal Abdullahi, Isah Rabiu and Abubakar Da’u along Bauchi-Gombe road while travelling in a DAF truck marked GME 552 ZU. A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of two million four hundred and ninety (2,490,000) pills of tramadol concealed with bags of salt.

“A suspect, Idris Adamu, 23, was arrested with 41.5 kilograms of cannabis sativa at Kachia town, Kaduna state on Tuesday 10th September while two suspects: Godiya Sekyen Jikuk, 36, and Yusuf Umaru,65, were nabbed at Isinbode -Ekiti, Ekiti state with a total of 73.6kg cannabis on Wednesday 11th September.

“In Bauchi state, no fewer than 208,920 pills of tramadol and diazepam were seized from a suspect, Chinedu Asadu, 35, on Thursday 13th September while 104kg of cannabis was recovered from two suspects: Abba Abdullahi and Mustapha Yahaya along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Tuesday 10th September by operatives in Lagos state.

“Not less than 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were discovered by NDLEA operatives in two containers shipped from India during a joint examination of the containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos on Tuesday 10th September. The containers were part of those targeted by NDLEA for 100 percent examination.

“With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Government Secondary School, Galamawa and Government Junior Secondary School, Kaci, Dutse, Jigawa state; students of Kukudus Islamic School, Minna,Niger state; nurses and midwives at UBTH School of Nursing, Ugbowo, Benin City, Edo state; members of Vulcanisers Association of Nigeria in Ibarapa central LGA, Oyo state; Muslim faithful at Central Mosque, Demsa, Adamawa state, and WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Rano, Kano state, Alhaji Muhammad Isah Umaru, among others.”

While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, MMIA, Tincan, Lagos, Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Ekiti Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated. He urged them to continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.