A major emergency operation was launched in the early hours of Monday after a gas pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) caught fire along Agege Motor Road inward Ile Zik, Lagos.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said its Eagle Response Team arrived at the scene around 3:13 a.m. following distress calls received through the state’s 767 and 112 emergency lines.
According to the agency, responders discovered that the gas pipeline was already engulfed in flames upon arrival.
Authorities said the cause of the fire was yet to be determined, adding that investigations were ongoing in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and officials of NNPCL.
LASEMA confirmed that no casualty or injury had been recorded as of the time of filing the report.
The agency attributed the outcome to the swift intervention of emergency responders who immediately evacuated residents and secured the area to prevent harm to lives and property.
Emergency officials disclosed that a coordinated multi-agency operation involving the LASEMA Eagle Response Team, LASEMA Response Unit firefighters and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service was ongoing to contain the inferno.
Containment lines were established to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby residential buildings, fuel stations and other critical infrastructure, while traffic diversion measures were also introduced to ease congestion around the area.
Speaking on the incident, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, assured residents that the situation was under control.
He stated that the Lagos State Government had fully activated its emergency response mechanisms to protect lives and property.
“The protection of lives and property remains our highest priority,” he said, noting that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had continued to strengthen emergency preparedness and rapid response systems across the state.
Oke-Osanyintolu also disclosed that the government was working closely with NNPCL to safely isolate the affected pipeline, adding that a comprehensive integrity audit would be conducted before the facility is reactivated.
Residents and motorists were advised to avoid the Agege Motor Road corridor and make use of alternative routes including Old Abeokuta Road and the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
The government also urged residents not to engage in panic buying of petroleum products, assuring the public that there was no immediate threat to fuel supply in Lagos.
Authorities further appealed to residents to report suspicious activities or acts of vandalism around pipeline infrastructure through the state emergency numbers, 767 and 112.
LASEMA said updates on the incident would continue to be provided through its official communication channels while investigations continue.
