*CP dismisses rumour of bomb blasts
Etim Ekpimah
Shop owners at Kairo Market, Oshodi have attacked the team from Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and destroyed their equipment.
They were said to have cut the agency’s hoses in the middle to save their individual shops which affected the overall performance of the team at the scene of the fire disaster.
The Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said on Friday that it was regrettable that the firefighters were exposed to violence when they were trying to salvage the situation.
He said: “Our firefighters were exposed to violence at the above incident.
“Members of the public sabotaged our efforts by cutting our hoses in the middle to save their individual shops which affected the overall efforts of our personnel and damage to our equipment.
“Some members of our team were attacked with several sustaining injuries that required medical attention.
“It is of note that in the course of attempting to discharge their duties, first responders are being attacked.
“The agency intends to engage with the market authorities for sensitization on fire prevention and modalities of cooperation in such incidents.”
Oke-Osanyintolu frowns on the assault and mistreatment of its personnel, adding that investigation into the incident will be conducted.
He, however, added that the inferno affected 66 K-Clamp shops; 25no containerized shops; 4no Administrative offices; Goods worth millions of naira. He stated that the fire started around 8.02pm on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr Hakeem Odumosu has dismissed rumours making rounds that the Kairo market in Oshodi, which was gutted by fire on Thursday, was caused by a bomb explosion.
While on-the-spot assessment of the damages at the market on Friday, Odumosu said people should desist from making inflammatory statements which could set the country on fire.
He said the Explosive Ordnance Department, EOD, of the State Police Command has not discovered any bomb at the scene of the incident, and therefore the fire could not have been caused by a bomb explosion.
“We have seen what happened and we give God the glory no lives were lost. No matter the values of things that were lost, it cannot be compared with lives. We also thank God that the portion that got burnt is not more than the area not burnt.
“Since it started, I have deployed my men and they have been on ground. My coming is to have a physical assessment of what happened. We are to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order here.
“The rumour going round that it was a bomb should be dismissed. The tension is already high in the country and we should not make inflammatory statements.
“That’s why I am here with my technical team, the bomb experts in the police and they have gone round and no proof the fire was caused by a bomb. It has been ruled out that there was a bomb explosion here. No bomb was found here.
“So, people should allow the fire service and the police to conduct their investigation and when the report from their laboratory comes out, we will make a statement,” Odumosu said.