A fire outbreak at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos, has 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, and spread quickly through the building.

Customs officers on duty tried to contain the flames before personnel from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:43 a.m. and put out the blaze.

Deputy Comptroller of Customs Timothy Jonah, who had just resumed at the command to take over from his predecessor, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, said he was shocked by the incident.

Calling the fire 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.”

He commended the Customs personnel on duty for their quick response and their teamwork with the state fire service, and promised the command would upgrade its safety protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.