Fire Ravages Computer Village Market, Causing Millions in Losses

A devastating fire has destroyed goods worth hundreds of millions of naira at the Computer Village market in Ikeja, Lagos State. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, completely gutting the upper floor of a one-storey building on Somoye Osundairo Street.

According to emergency officials, the blaze began around 2 a.m., after traders had closed for the day. The building, which housed multiple shops for laptop dealers and computer accessories, was quickly engulfed due to the high volume of combustible materials inside.

Emergency responders from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) arrived to find active flames and dense smoke. They forced entry through a locked back door to combat the fire, which was so intense it caused the roof to collapse. One firefighter sustained minor injuries during the operation and received treatment at the scene.

While the official cause remains under investigation, some bystanders suggested it may have been linked to an erratic power supply the previous day.

Trader Ebere Daddymuonso, who lost goods he valued at over N150 million, expressed his devastation. “I arrived to find everything completely razed. We have lost everything and we are pleading with the government to please come to our aid,” he said. He explained that all 13 offices on the floor, occupied mainly by laptop importers, were destroyed.

The Iyaloja (market leader) of Computer Village, Abisola Azeez, commended the emergency services for preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings. She echoed the call for government support, stating the losses run into billions of naira and the affected traders cannot recover alone.

LASEMA confirmed that a structural integrity assessment will be conducted on the damaged building. The agency’s permanent secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed that all goods within the structure were destroyed.