Some shanties in the popular Alaba International Market in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State were on Friday gutted by fire.
It was gathered that the shanties were engulfed by fire early Friday morning.
It was also learnt that some traders in the market resorted to self-help to put out the fire before the arrival of emergency responders.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, in a statement on Friday, disclosed that none of the stores in the market was affected.
She said, “It is instructive to confirm that shanties and not shops are on fire, please.”
She further stated that the incident degenerated into a security situation as officials of the agency were unable to gain access into the area to carry out their duties.
Adeseye said the agency was collaborating with security agents to address the situation.
However, in a similar development, the Lagos police command says its officers raided and set ablaze shanties at the Alaba International Market in the Ojo area of the state.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos police spokesperson, in a tweet while reacting to a report of a fire incident at the market, said it was police officers from Ojo division, who set ablaze the shanties.
Hundeyin said the police officers recovered some weapons from suspected criminals at the shanties.
“This is a false narrative! Acting on credible information, police officers from Ojo division raided shanties around the market, arrested suspected criminals, and recovered some weapons,” the Lagos police spokesperson wrote.
“The shanties were thereafter set on fire. Alaba Int’l Market is NOT on fire!”
The comment of the Lagos police spokesperson countered an earlier statement released by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.