A fire outbreak on Monday gutted the office of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Western Marine Command in Apapa, Lagos, destroying property worth millions of naira.
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 building.
Officers on duty made frantic efforts to contain the fire until officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:45 a.m. to assist with the firefighting operation.
The Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Timothy Jonah, who had just assumed duty at the command, described the incident as unfortunate.
“I just resumed duty to take over, only to witness this fire outbreak,” Jonah said.
He, however, said the incident presented an opportunity to strengthen the command’s operations and safety measures.
“Every challenge, though negative, is an opportunity to strengthen our operations,” he added.
Jonah said a committee would be constituted to investigate the cause of the fire.
He also commended the personnel on duty for their swift response and collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
He assured that measures would be implemented to strengthen safety protocols and prevent a recurrence.
