By Ali Elias
Fresh investigations by Rareview News Report into the fire outbreak that razed a one-storey structure at the Ikotun market area have revealed significant details that contradict earlier accounts of the incident, while raising troubling questions about official response, transparency, and post-disaster handling.
The follow-up inquiry was prompted by calls received after our earlier publication titled “From Ikotun to Kaduna, the High Cost of Fake News.” Acting on the feedback, our reporters returned to the scene to establish the true circumstances surrounding the inferno.
Contrary to initial reports, the affected building is not residential. Findings indicate that it is a fully commercial facility housing about 58 shops, offices, warehouses and parking stores. Those interviewed insisted that no one lives in the building, effectively dismissing earlier speculation that the fire might have resulted from a changeover from public power supply (NEPA) to generator.
According to multiple sources within the market, the fire outbreak occurred shortly after midnight on January 1 and was allegedly triggered by a “banger” or knockout explosive thrown into the building.
“It could not have been a generator issue,” one trader told Rareview News Report. “Nobody sleeps here. The fire started after a loud bang. That is what everyone heard.”
If confirmed, the allegation raises serious security concerns, as the Nigeria Police Force had placed a nationwide ban on the use of knockouts and similar fireworks during the festive period. Such an act would therefore constitute a criminal offence.
Traders estimate that goods and property worth over ₦300 million were lost in the blaze.
Beyond the losses, anger is mounting among affected business owners over what they describe as official indifference. Several traders expressed disappointment that, days after the incident, neither the Chairman of the Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area (LCDA) nor the Oba of Ikotun had visited the scene.
“The council secretariat and the Oba’s palace are barely 400 metres from here,” a shop owner lamented. “This market is the commercial nerve centre of the council. Yet, no one has deemed it necessary to come and see what happened to us.”
Adding to their frustration, traders said they have been barred from accessing the building to salvage what remains of their goods, even five days after the fire. The structure remains cordoned off with tape.
While acknowledging that the building has been marked distressed, Rareview News Report observed that there was no immediate visible danger that would prevent owners from retrieving salvageable property under supervision.
In an effort to obtain official clarification, our reporters visited the Igando-Ikotun LCDA secretariat to see the council chairman, Comrade Lasisi Ayinde Akinsanya. Access to the chairman was denied, with aides explaining that he had just resumed from the holidays and was “very busy.”
Instead, the reporters were directed to the Public Information Department. The head of the unit told Rareview News Report that the chairman, accompanied by him, had visited the scene on January 1, the day of the incident. There was, however, no independent way to verify this claim.
The integrity of that account was further called into question later the same day, when two independent sources separately informed Rareview News Report that the chairman was scheduled to visit the fire site on January 6 at about 9:00 a.m.
The next stop was the Ikotun Police Station, located just a two-minute walk from the council secretariat, to determine whether the incident had been formally recorded and whether investigations were ongoing, particularly in view of the arson allegation. However, no information was forthcoming. Officers on duty said both the Divisional Police Officer and the Station Officer had “gone out,” adding that only the DPO was authorised to speak on the matter.
Meanwhile, traders also raised a more disturbing allegation: that those in charge of granting access to the burnt building are demanding ₦500,000 from the affected business owners. The money, they were told, would be used for the equipment to test the structural integrity of the building before access could be granted.
If true, the allegation raises questions about legality and due process. Rareview News Report intends to seek clarification from the Lagos State Building Control Agency on whether such a demand is lawful and in line with established safety protocols. As traders count their losses and await official intervention, the Ikotun market fire underscores broader concerns about emergency response, accountability, and the treatment of victims in the aftermath of urban disasters.