A property owner in the Obawole area of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government, Mrs. Gloria Unazoi, has denied allegations that her residential building was the source of the recent fire outbreak at a filling station on Old Akute Road, Lagos.
In a formal statement dated June 26 and issued through her legal representatives, Bodunde Bankole and Co., Mrs. Unazoi described the claims as false and misleading. The letter, signed by attorney Adedapo Adepegba, was in response to a report quoting Jubril Gawat, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, suggesting that the fire may have started from a building located behind the fuel station.
“Our client’s building is indeed situated behind the station, but we can categorically state and prove that the fire did not originate from her property,” the letter read.
Instead, the lawyers attributed the fire to operational negligence during the discharge of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from a tanker into the underground tanks at the filling station. According to them, this was not the first time safety concerns had been raised about the facility.
“In 2023, our client formally advised the station owner to implement necessary safety measures after a similar incident. Unfortunately, those recommendations were ignored. It is this continued neglect that led to the recent incident—not any action from our client or her tenants, who have now suffered significant property damage,” the statement added.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the fire broke out around 4 p.m., following a loud explosion at the station. The flames reportedly spread quickly, prompting emergency intervention from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, which sealed off the area to contain the blaze.
Confirming the incident, Fire Service spokesperson Shakiru Amodu stated that swift action prevented the inferno from spreading to nearby properties.
While the cause of the fire is still under official investigation, the incident has reignited public concern about safety standards and regulatory compliance at fuel stations operating in densely populated residential areas
