Two injured as fire guts Nylon firm in Lagos

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

A multi-million naira nylon firm on Clem Road, Ijaye in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, Lagos was on Sunday razed by fire.

The cause of the fire, which started around 3pm was unknown.

The workers at the firm, it was learnt, rarely work on weekends.

Two persons including a security man, suffered slight injury while trying to put it out.

The fire affected Boys Quarters of a building besides it, destroying seven rooms.

Hoodlums took advantage of the confused situation to steal property of those living in the Boys Quarters.

The Acting Director of Lagos State Fire Service Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, said fire fighters from Agege and Abesan fire stations were immediately mobilised to the scene.

Mrs Adeseye said the firemen were able to prevent the fire from extending to other buildings.

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“We got a distress call around 3:35pm and arrived at the scene at 3:45. The place is a nylon company, but we don’t know the name of the company,” she said.

She said the estimate of the loss cannot be ascertained yet.

A resident said: “The company was burnt completely. A lot of houses could have gone with it if not for the car wash and some boys that bravely work to contain the damage and eventual intervention of the fire service.”

Another eyewitness said hoodlums stole plasma TV as tenants of the house beside the firm were packing their belongings outside.

He said the stealing could have been much quick if not for the intervention of the officials of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch and police officers.

The Nation learnt that the owner of the company is out of the country.

His father, who simply gave his name as Babatunde said millions of Naira was lost to the fire.

Mr Babatunde said he received emergency calls and immediately left Apapa where he was to the scene.

He told The Nation that he has not informed his son about the incident.

“You don’t break such a sad incident like that. You have to be tactical about it,” he said.

A security man, Babatunde Araokanmi a.k.a Scorpion said he sustained slight injury while trying to put out the fire.

“I had to naked myself in the process of putting out the fire. we tried our best to salvage the company but when the fire became uncontrollable, we diverted our energies to preventing it from burning the houses near it,” Scorpion, a member of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) said.