By Peace Udugba
A fierce morning fire destroyed multi-million Naira property at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos, on Monday.
The blaze broke out around 10:20 a.m. in the command’s conference room due to an electrical surge before spreading rapidly through the building. Officers on duty attempted to contain the flames before firefighters from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at 10:43 a.m. to extinguish the fire.
The incident marked a dramatic first day for Deputy Comptroller of Customs Timothy Jonah, who had just arrived at the command to assume leadership from outgoing Comptroller Patrick Ntadi.
”I just resumed duty to take over, only to witness this fire outbreak,” Jonah told journalists at the scene. “Every challenge, though negative, is an opportunity to strengthen our operations. In the meantime, we will set up a committee to investigate the cause of the fire.”
Jonah commended the quick response of the personnel on duty and the seamless collaboration with the state fire service, promising an immediate upgrade to the command’s safety protocols to prevent future occurrences.
