Get Guardian on GoogleA fire outbreak at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos, yesterday destroyed property worth millions of naira.
The fire started at about 10:20 a.m. in the command’s conference room, reportedly following an electrical surge, before spreading rapidly through the building.
The Guardian learnt that Customs officers on duty attempted to contain the fire before personnel of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:43 a.m. and put out the blaze.
The Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Timothy Jonah, who had just resumed at the command to take over from his predecessor, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, expressed shock over the incident.
Describing the fire as unfortunate, Jonah said, “I just resumed duty to take over, only to witness this fire outbreak. 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 Customs personnel on duty for their quick response and teamwork with the state fire service.
He also promised that the command would upgrade its safety protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
