LAGOS — Fire on Monday gutted the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos, destroying property worth millions of naira.

The fire, which reportedly started at about 10:23 a.m. from an electrical surge in the conference room, spread to other sections of the building.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that officers on duty made frantic efforts to contain the fire before officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:45 a.m.

The newly deployed Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Timothy Jonah, who had just resumed to take over the affairs of the command from his predecessor, described the incident as unfortunate.

Jonah said he had barely resumed when the fire broke out.

“I just resumed duty to take over, only to witness this fire outbreak,” he said.

He said the incident, despite its negative impact, presented an opportunity to strengthen the command’s operations and safety measures.

“Every challenge, though negative, is an opportunity to strengthen our operations,” he said.

Jonah said the command would constitute a committee to investigate the cause of the fire.

“In the meantime, we will set up a committee to investigate the cause of the fire,” he said.

He commended officers on duty for their swift response and collaboration with the fire service.

The deputy comptroller said the command would take measures to strengthen its safety protocols and prevent a recurrence.

NAN