The Lagos State Government has dismissed allegations that recent fire incidents in major markets across the state were deliberate attacks targeting Igbo traders.
Wale Ajetunmobi, Senior Special Assistant on Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described such claims as “misguided and baseless”, accusing some individuals from the Southeast of fabricating narratives to politicize market fire tragedies.
“These individuals have no understanding of how Lagos markets operate, yet they quickly spread misleading opinions to make these fire incidents appear as deliberate arson”, Ajetunmobi said in a post on X.
The comments were in response to a social media post by an X user, Obiasogu, who claimed that three major markets – Balogun Market, Arena Market in Oshodi, and Ikotun Market – had been destroyed in just seven days, suggesting a pattern of attacks on Igbo-dominated businesses.
Ajetunmobi countered, noting that such claims ignore the realities of market operations and ownership. He cited the recent fire at the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building in Balogun Market, which is owned by the Yoruba Oodu’a Group, questioning why the Yoruba would deliberately destroy their own property.
He explained that unsafe practices by traders were primarily responsible for the fires. “Traders often place generators and flammable materials on upper floors of multi-storey buildings, store goods in poorly ventilated rooms, and illegally tap electricity from distant sources.
“These unsafe practices put everyone, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Ibibio and other ethnic groups, at equal risk”, he said.
“Anyone claiming these fires were planned against a specific ethnic group is simply crying wolf”, Ajetunmobi added. “Such divisive narratives have no basis in fact and serve only to inflame tensions”.
The aide stressed that the Lagos State Government has long conducted advocacy campaigns in markets, particularly during the dry season, to educate traders on fire safety and risk reduction.
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