A fire on Monday destroyed property worth millions of naira at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos.
The fire reportedly began around 10:23am after an electrical surge in the conference room. It later spread to other parts of the building.
Officers on duty tried to put out the fire before the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:45am, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The command’s Deputy Comptroller, Timothy Jonah, had just resumed duty to take over from his predecessor when the incident happened. He described the fire as unfortunate.
He 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 praised the officers on duty for their quick response and their work with the fire service.
He also said the command would take steps to improve its safety measures and stop a similar incident from happening again.
