BY ONOZURE DANIA

Landlords in Lagos Island have begun verification exercise of goods sold by traders and shop owners in their houses as efforts to rid the area of illegal goods and firecrackers intensifies.

This came as a result of last week’s fire incident, which erupted from a building loaded with explosives at Jankara, Ojogiwa area of Lagos Island. The fire left one person dead and 40 others injured.

File photo: Fire caused by firecrackers at Idumota market Lagos.

The fire believed to have started from a firecracker warehouse storing fireworks spread to eight buildings in the crowded area.

Several shops were also razed in the inferno while goods running into millions of naira were also consumed.

No fewer than 10 houses that were affected by the fire were demolished by officials of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency. General Manager of the agency, Mr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the demolition became necessary to prevent further damage to lives and property, adding that the state government would carry out a test to determine fitness of the adjoining buildings and those that fail to meet the required standard would be demolished.

He said, 12 houses were affected, with 10 badly damaged and required urgent demolition. It was this fear that moved many landlords in the area to begin the eviction of notorious tenants, especially those selling firecrackers.

It was gathered that due to the high level of commercial activities in the area, 70 percent of houses in the area, which hitherto were residential, are now used as warehouses, while the ground floors are shops.

Vanguard learnt that most of the landlords do not bother about the activities going on in these shops as long as the shop owners were paying their dues. “The only time you see these landlords or their caretakers is when they come around to collect their monthly rent dues.