Fire Guts Customs Apapa Office, Property Worth Millions Destroyed

• Property and office equipment worth millions of naira were destroyed on Monday after a fire engulfed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos.

• The fire reportedly started at about 10:23 a.m. following an electrical surge in the conference room before spreading to other sections of the Customs office.

• Officers on duty mounted a frantic effort to contain the blaze before personnel of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:45 a.m. to join the operation.

• The newly deployed Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Timothy Jonah, described the incident as unfortunate and ordered an investigation into the cause.

September 28, () – Property and office equipment worth millions of naira were destroyed on Monday after fire engulfed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos.

gathered that the fire, which started at about 10:23 a.m., was triggered by an electrical surge in the conference room before spreading to other sections of the building.

The outbreak caused panic within the command as officers on duty made frantic efforts to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the facility.

Personnel of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:45 a.m. and joined efforts to bring the fire under control.

The extent of the damage was still being assessed, although property and equipment estimated to be worth millions of naira were reportedly destroyed in the inferno.

The incident occurred as the newly deployed Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Timothy Jonah, resumed at the command to take over its affairs from his predecessor.

Jonah described the fire outbreak as unfortunate, saying he had just resumed duty when he was confronted with the incident.

“I just resumed duty to take over, only to witness this fire outbreak,” he said, adding that the incident would provide an opportunity to strengthen the command’s operations and safety measures.

“Every challenge, though negative, is an opportunity to strengthen our operations,” he said.

Jonah disclosed that a committee would be constituted to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire and determine its cause.

“In the meantime, we will set up a committee to investigate the cause of the fire,” he added.

He commended Customs personnel who were on duty for their swift response in attempting to contain the outbreak before the arrival of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.

He also praised the collaboration between the officers and the firefighters during the emergency.

Jonah said the command would take steps to strengthen its safety protocols and prevent a recurrence of a similar incident.