The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has confirmed the successful containment and extinguishing of a gas pipeline fire that erupted along Agege Motor Road, Ile Zik inward Agege, in the early hours of Monday.
According to the agency’s Head of Public Affairs, Olawale Afolabi, the incident involved a gas pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
He disclosed that the LASEMA Eagle Response Team arrived at the scene around 3:13 a.m. after receiving distress calls through the state’s 767 and 112 emergency toll-free lines.
Emergency responders reportedly met the pipeline engulfed in flames on arrival, prompting immediate evacuation of nearby residents and the establishment of safety perimeters to prevent the fire from spreading.
Afolabi stated that no casualty or injury was recorded during the incident, attributing the outcome to the swift response of emergency agencies.
He explained that the inferno was successfully contained through the combined efforts of the LASEMA Response Team (LRT), LASEMA Response Unit (LRU) firefighters and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
According to him, emergency officials also shut the gas pipeline valve to halt the spread of the fire before extinguishing the blaze completely.
“The operation has been concluded successfully, and all responders returned safely to base,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, assured residents that the situation had been brought under control and that all emergency response protocols were fully activated to protect lives and property.
He added that the Lagos State Government was collaborating with NNPC Ltd. to isolate the affected pipeline and carry out integrity checks before restoring operations.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Brief History of Pipeline Incidents in Lagos
Lagos has witnessed several pipeline-related incidents over the years, largely due to vandalism, illegal tapping and infrastructure failures. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in 2006 at Abule Egba, where a pipeline explosion killed hundreds of residents after fuel scooping activities triggered a massive fire.
In 2020, another major gas explosion rocked the Abule Ado area of Lagos, destroying homes, schools and businesses, while claiming several lives. Authorities have since intensified surveillance and emergency response measures around critical oil and gas infrastructure across the state.