Fire Razes Alaba International Market in Lagos — Traders Count Heavy Losses

Tragedy struck on Tuesday evening as a massive fire swept through parts of Alaba International Market in Ojo, Lagos, destroying several shops and warehouses filled with goods worth millions of naira.

Eyewitness videos and a live TikTok broadcast by @KBClothings captured the heartbreaking scenes thick black smoke billowing into the sky, traders screaming for help, and many breaking down in tears as the flames consumed their investments.

Some traders made desperate attempts to retrieve their goods, risking their lives to save what they could before the inferno spread further. Others could only watch helplessly as years of hard work went up in smoke.

Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were quickly deployed to the scene to battle the flames. However, by the time they arrived, significant damage had already been done. Eyewitnesses claim that the fire started in one section of the market and spread rapidly, fueled by flammable goods stored in locked warehouses.

A few traders also accused market security personnel of responding too slowly when the fire first broke out, raising questions about emergency preparedness and infrastructure safety within the market.

As of now, the cause of the fire has not been officially confirmed, and the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.