MICHAEL AKINOLA
Panic gripped residents of Isheri-Idimu in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State in the early hours of Thursday after fire gutted a mechanic workshop on Oladunni Street, destroying 21 exotic vehicles and threatening to cause a massive explosion at a nearby filling station.
The inferno, which started at about 3:05 a.m. beside Eternal Filling Station, threw the entire Idimu Road axis into confusion as residents rushed out of their homes fearing that the fuel dump at the filling station would explode and affect hundreds of houses.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the fire started inside the mechanic workshop where several vehicles were parked for repairs and servicing. Within minutes, the flames spread rapidly, consuming vehicles, engines and spare parts valued at hundreds of millions of Naira.
Eyewitnesses said the proximity of the workshop to the filling station raised fears of a possible major disaster that could have affected many houses along Oladunni Street and Idimu Road if not for the swift response of emergency responders and the Police.
P.M.EXPRESS can exclusively report that the prompt leadership of the Divisional Police Officer, Idimu Division, CSP Oni Washeed Adebisi, and the Area Commander, Area M Command, Idimu, ACP Tokunbo Aboniwonda, prevented looting, controlled the crowd and gave fire fighters access to put out the fire before it spread to Eternal Filling Station.
Sources at Idimu Division told P.M.EXPRESS that immediately the distress call came in at about 3:10 a.m., CSP Oni Washeed Adebisi personally mobilized patrol teams and led them to Oladunni Street to cordon off the area.
“Immediately we received the distress call that there was fire at Oladunni Street beside Eternal filling station, our DPO, CSP Oni Washeed Adebisi, ordered our patrol teams to move to the scene. He was on ground himself to coordinate. Our men were the first to arrive. We cordoned off the entire street to prevent miscreants from taking advantage to loot vehicles and properties. The DPO also controlled traffic along Idimu Road to allow LASEMA and Fire Service to have easy access,” a Police source from Idimu Division said.
It was further gathered that the Area Commander, Area M Command, Idimu, ACP Tokunbo Aboniwonda, upon being briefed by Idimu DPO, also swiftly deployed additional policemen from Area M Headquarters to reinforce Idimu Division at the scene.
“The Area Commander, ACP Tokunbo Aboniwonda, upon hearing that the fire was close to a filling station, ordered reinforcement. He directed Area M operatives to join Idimu Division. Area M operatives led by the Area Commander’s operations team helped to evacuate residents close to the filling station and ensured that no one went close to the fire area. Their presence ensured that the fire fighters worked without molestation from hoodlums who usually gather at such scenes,” another source disclosed.
Residents confirmed the role of the police led by the two senior officers.
“If not for police from Idimu Division led by their DPO, CSP Oni Washeed Adebisi, and Area M Commander, ACP Tokunbo Aboniwonda, some boys would have started stealing parts from the burning cars. Police chased them away and blocked the road. They also helped us to carry water before Fire Service came,” Mr. Segun Adebayo, a resident of Oladunni Street, said.
Mrs. Bose Alabi, another resident, said policemen from Idimu Division helped to wake up residents whose houses were close to the filling station.
“Police came and were knocking on doors, telling people to come out because the fire could enter the filling station. The DPO and his men tried. They stayed till morning till LASEMA finished. We thank CSP Oni Washeed Adebisi and Area M Commander ACP Tokunbo Aboniwonda,” she said.
LASEMA Confirms 21 Cars Burnt, No Life Lost
Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, said its Dolphin Response Team stationed at Igando was immediately activated following a distress call received at about 3:05 a.m.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement on Friday, said the fire was successfully contained and extinguished through a coordinated operation involving the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Nigeria Police Force, including Idimu Division under CSP Oni Washeed Adebisi and Area M Command under ACP Tokunbo Aboniwonda, and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps.
According to him, preliminary assessment showed that about twenty-one exotic vehicles were affected, while a section of a nearby building sustained minor damage.
“The fire has been completely extinguished and damping-down operations concluded. Preliminary assessment indicates that about twenty-one (21) exotic vehicles were affected, with a section of a nearby building sustaining minor damage. Importantly, no loss of life and no injury were recorded,” Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu said.
LASEMA commended the Nigeria Police Force, Idimu Division and Area M Command for providing security and crowd control which enabled emergency responders to work effectively without hindrance.
Residents Blame Illegal Siting Of Workshops Near Fuel Stations
The incident has reignited concerns over the indiscriminate siting of mechanic workshops close to filling stations and residential buildings in Alimosho and other parts of Lagos.
Residents along Idimu Road and Isheri-Idimu said many mechanic workshops operate with fuel, gas cylinders, and electrical equipment close to filling stations, posing serious fire risks.
“This is not the first time we are having fire in this area. Mechanic workshops are too close to filling stations in Isheri-Idimu. Government should check them. LASEPA and Lagos Physical Planning should come and inspect this place. We are sitting on gunpowder,” a community leader in Isheri-Idimu, who pleaded anonymity, said.
They called on the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), and the Lagos State Safety Commission to enforce safety regulations and relocate mechanic workshops operating dangerously close to filling stations.
LASEMA Urges Residents To Call 767, 112 During Emergency
Meanwhile, LASEMA has urged residents to always contact Lagos State emergency services through the toll-free numbers 767 and 112 whenever they encounter fire outbreaks or other emergencies requiring urgent assistance.
The agency also advised owners of mechanic workshops to ensure proper handling of fuel and electrical appliances and to have fire extinguishers in their premises.
As at the time of filing this report on Friday, mechanics affected by the fire were seen counting their losses at Oladunni Street, while owners of the burnt exotic vehicles were making frantic efforts to contact their insurance companies.
The value of the 21 exotic vehicles destroyed in the Isheri-Idimu fire is yet to be estimated, but sources said the loss runs into hundreds of millions of naira.