Tag: Lagos

Categories
News

Traders Thrown Into Panic As Fire Guts Popular Lagos Market (Video)

Sections of the popular Army Arena Market in Oshodi, Lagos State, were razed by fire.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday evening, threw traders at the market into panic and confusion.

The incident was confirmed by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) via its official 𝕏 handle, noting that its operatives were on site to extinguish the fire.

The post read, “There’s a fire outbreak inside Arena Shopping Mall along Agege Motor Road, Oshodi. Men of @LagosRescue are on ground to extinguish the inferno.”

Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started around 6:00 p.m., sending traders scrambling to salvage their wares as thick smoke filled the air.

Videos shared on social media showed frantic scenes of traders attempting to save goods while firefighters battled the blaze.

At the time of reporting, no official figures have been released regarding casualties or the extent of property losses.

This fire comes just a week after a similar incident at Lagos’ Balogun Market, where a blaze originating from the Great Nigeria Insurance building on Martins Street spread to five neighboring structures on Christmas Eve.

The Arena Market fire is also not the first of the year. In August 2025, a major fire swept through sections of the market, causing losses worth millions of naira.

Categories
News

Many Trapped, 15 Rescued as Two-Storey Building Collapses in Lagos

At least 15 persons have been rescued and many more trapped after a two-storey building collapsed at No. 54, Cole Street, Cemetery Bus Stop, near UBA Bank in Oyingbo, Lagos.
The sad incident happened in the early hours of Monday, shortly after midnight.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LSFRS, said it received a distress call at 12:20 a.m., prompting firefighters from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station to arrive at the scene within minutes, at 12:29 a.m., to begin search-and-rescue operations.
Confirming the development, Margaret Adeseye, Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, said 15 persons had so far been rescued alive, seven adult males, four adult females, and four children, all with varying degrees of injury.
She added that the victims had been transported to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, and the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, for urgent medical attention.
Preliminary findings revealed that the ill-fated structure had previously been marked as distressed but was still occupied by residents at the time of the collapse.
Adeseye noted that rescue efforts were still ongoing, as emergency responders continued combing through the debris for any remaining victims feared trapped.
She assured the public that the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, in collaboration with other emergency management agencies, remains on site and fully mobilised “to ensure that every trapped individual is safely recovered.”
Categories
News

Lagos Fire Service Reveals Cause Of Inferno At Alaba International Market

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has identified a power surge and negligence as the causes of the fire that destroyed part of the Alaba International Market.

In a statement, the agency, however, said no casualties or injuries were recorded from the incident.

It said that it received a distress call at 7:18 p.m. reporting a fire outbreak at 155 Olojo Drive, opposite Tantalizers, Alaba International Market, in the Ojo Local Government Area of the state.

The agency further explained that upon receiving the alert, the Ojo and Ijegun-Egba fire stations were immediately deployed to the scene.

It disclosed that the incident involved multiple lock-up shops of varying sizes situated within a two-storey building occupying approximately 648 square meters, within a larger market premises spanning about five hectares.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire originated from the topmost floor of the building shortly after electricity was restored, due to negligence on the part of some shop owners.

“Access to the affected areas proved challenging as most shops were closed for the day, necessitating forced entry to gain access and suppress the fire, a delay that contributed to the spread of the flames, which was, however, confined to the floor,” a statement partly read.

Categories
Entertainment News

Demolished Lekki Property Doesn’t Belong To Ola Of Lagos — Firm

It has been revealed that the luxury car lot recently demolished along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos doesn’t belong to popular auto influencer, Ola of Lagos.
This is according to Nigerian company, Skyewise Group.
The clarification followed widespread social media claims suggesting that the facility, which was pulled down last Saturday, was owned by the influencer known for showcasing high-end automobiles online.
Videos of the demolition had sparked outrage, showing heavy-duty equipment flattening luxury car display stands along the busy Lekki corridor, a hub for automobile dealerships.
In a statement released on Monday, the Chief Executive Officer of Skyewise Group, Elvis Abuyere, described the demolition of the firm’s office as “unfortunate and saddening.”
Abuyere explained that the action was part of the Lagos State Government’s effort to create access routes for a new waterway development project.
 
“This unfortunate incident affected several car lots along the Lekki Expressway, starting from Phase 1, where the Skyewise Group office was located,” he said.
The CEO stressed that the demolished property was solely owned by Skyewise Group, noting that only a section of the premises had been leased to Ola of Lagos for car hire operations and luxury vehicle displays.
“All necessary building approvals, operational permits, dealership licenses, and environmental levies for the property were duly obtained from the Lagos State Government,” Abuyere added.
He further disclosed that the company would release copies of the relevant documents soon.
Despite the setback, Abuyere said Skyewise had already commenced plans to rebuild and establish a bigger and better facility in Lagos.
He thanked Nigerians for their support during the incident and expressed confidence that the company would “emerge stronger and better in no distant future.”
Categories
News

NNPC Increases Petrol Price to N992/Litre in Lagos

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced it has increased the pump price of petrol from N865 to N992 per litre.
However, it gave no official explanation as to the sudden adjustment.
However, attendants at several NNPC retail outlets confirmed receiving directives to update their pump meters to reflect the new price.
At the NNPC station on Ogunusi Road, Ojodu Berger, Lagos, staff told The Nation that they had been instructed to switch the price to N992 per litre. Meanwhile, a visit to other outlets, including those in Ibafo along the Lagos–Ibadan expressway, showed that while some still displayed the previous rate of N875 per litre, they were not dispensing fuel to motorists.
Many NNPC stations across the region were also observed to be closed or not selling petrol as of Monday, October 13.
The development comes amid growing reports of petrol scarcity in parts of the country, with Abuja recently experiencing long queues linked to a reported dispute involving Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
Categories
News

Trade Fair Demolition: Temper Law With Compassion – Peter Obi to Lagos Govt

Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate has sent a message to the Lagos State government over demolition of structures in the state.
He urged the government to temper enforcement with mercy.
He said that being legally correct is not a substitute for being morally right.
This comes after he visited the site of the demolished ASPAMDA Market at the Trade Fair Complex, which he criticised and described the razing of traders’ plazas as a test of the state’s commitment to justice and human dignity.
Last week, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said Obi launched into emotional theatrics when he described the incident as “a test of impunity, justice and compassion.”
The Commissioner justified the demolition as constitutional, noting that the affected traders got ample time to regularise their papers when the state government declared a general amnesty last year, which was extended several times.
In a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, Obi warned that the law must never be wielded in a way that inflicts “undeserved pain” or destroys livelihoods when less destructive remedies exist.
Obi recalled a personal experience abroad to illustrate his point, saying governments should pursue formal legal remedies rather than waking up one morning to demolish homes or businesses.
“Those seeking to justify the current demolitions in Aspamda Market, Lagos, and similar situations across Nigeria must be reminded that the law is not an end in itself; it is a means to ensure order, peace, and the protection of human dignity.
 
“When the law becomes an instrument to inflict undeserved pain – enforced without compassion or regard for human welfare – it ceases to serve justice.
 
“Even if, for the sake of argument, some of the affected traders failed to obtain the proper approvals, which is unlikely, was demolition the only option? If opportunities for regularisation truly existed, as some have argued, why were they not pursued?
 
“Does it truly serve justice to destroy billions of naira worth of investments and livelihoods when less destructive remedies could have sufficed?” He asked.
Categories
News

Staff Jump From Storey Building As Fire Guts UBA Lagos Island Branch (Video)

Staff members of the United Bank for Africa, UBA, branch on Lagos Island have jumped to safety following a fire incident.
Videos shared online showed some of the bank’s staff seen attempting to jump down from the storey building.
The workers were captured in the video trying to escape through the windows.
As at the time of this report, emergency responders are yet to make official statements on the incident.
Watch the video below

Here

Categories
Entertainment News

I Was Arrested, Slept At Police Station On My First Day In Lagos – Nigerian Singer, Fola Reveals

Folarin Odunlami, the Afrobeats singer, who is popularly known as Fola, has shared how he was arrested and spent a night in police custody on the very day he moved to Lagos to pursue his music career.

The ‘Alone’ crooner stated that the incident demoralised him and almost made him to give up on his dreams.

Speaking in a recent interview with The Beat 99.9 FM Lagos, Fola explained that his resilience has helped him to adapt to Lagos’ bustling lifestyle.

“I relocated to Lagos in 2018 to pursue my music career. It has been rough but… I wasn’t born here, so it was so hard at first but I have adapted to both the living conditions and the hustle.

“The very first day I came to Lagos, I assumed arrested. I slept at the police station. It was a long story. I don’t want to remember it. I almost gave up,” he recalled.

Fola gained prominence after he was signed to famous singer Bella Shurmda’s Dagbani Republik in October 2024.

Since releasing his breakthrough song, ‘Alone’, Fola has collaborated with Afrobeats stars such as Wizkid and Kizz Daniel.

Categories
On the Blaze

Man discovers brand new iPhone bought in Lagos flagged as stolen in UK

A Nigerian living in the United Kingdom, Gbenga Wemimo, has shared a shocking experience after discovering that a brand-new iPhone his wife purchased in Nigeria turned out to be a reported stolen device in the UK.

Taking to the social media platform X, Wemimo revealed that he had bought the iPhone last September for his wife at an Apple-authorised store located in Jakande, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

According to him, the decision to purchase the device in Nigeria rather than abroad was his way of supporting local businesses.

How we almost landed in trouble over ‘stolen iPhone’

“My wife bought a brand new iPhone at the Apple store located at Jakande, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos last September. We decided to trade it in for a new one today at the Apple Store located at Westfield Stratford City Arcade (London) a few minutes ago Only God did not let them call the police on us.

The attendant scanned the IPhone and declared that it had been reported as stolen. Stolen from where? It was not a used iPhone It was new, purchased from an approved Apple Store and we have all the receipts intact.

The attendant saw our indignation and went ahead to consult with her superiors. They scanned again and they declared that it was reported “missing”. They adjusted their language from stolen to missing and told us it has zero swap value.

I was not shocked at all even though I should be. Nigerians like cutting corners for unhealthy gains and they always believe this is good business for them as long as they were able to make a buck. Somehow we were able to walk out of that Apple Store without any drama but I remember telling my wife that we would have had a lot of explaining to do if they had a policy that required that they must report such incidents to the police.

Nigerian business people must try to do better than this There is something called integrity, it has a higher value than the dirty gains they think they are getting by playing dirty. I have always insisted on buying things in Nigeria because it helps the economy but I can see the reason many prefer to shop abroad. We must do better than this as a people. -GSW-“

Categories
News

9-year-old Boy Found In Kaduna Two months After His Alleged Abduction From Lagos

A 9-year-old boy, Precious Francis Emmanuel who was allegedly abducted in Lagos two months ago has been found in Kaduna.

A Kaduna performing artist and poet, Tacyturn John, shared photos and video of the boy in a Facebook post on Sunday, June 4, 2023 to announce his kidnap before he was found.

The boy said his mother’s name is Esther Emmanuel and he attended Oke Odo Ologogo primary school in Lagos.

Anyone with useful information on how to locate his family should please contact the artist.

“This kid’s been kidnapped from Lagos and found in Kaduna. His name is Precious Francis Emmanuel (9years old). The last location he could recall is Ikeja. Please let’s make his photo go round to hasten the process of reuniting him with his family. He’s been gone for two months now please. Thanks,” he wrote.

About Us

626blaze is an entertainment and lifestyle website that brings you latest gist and scoops from the world of music, fashion, movies, sports and social commentary.

Categories

Subscribe to our Newsletters