Fire outbreak guts 40 offices at NPA complex

There was pandemonium on Tuesday at the popular container complex around the PTML terminal located at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos as fire reportedly broke out at one of the container offices, thereby affecting 40 offices.

Also, earlier in the day, a similar fire outbreak happened at the popular Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) building popularly known as ‘national’, also in Tin Can Island Port second gate. The fire outbreak affected several offices.

Both buildings belonged to the Seaview Properties Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian Port Authority.

As at the time of filing in this report, eyewitnesses told newsmen that firefighters are yet to report to the scene.

Speaking with newsmen around 7:00 pm on Tuesday night, a freight forwarder, Ojo Akintoye said that he was still at the scene of the fire at PTML container complex.

He said that operators with offices inside the complex are suspecting foul play,  saying that the fire might have been caused deliberately. He told our correspondent that office of a BOT member of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA), Aare Sanni Shittu as well as other top clearing agents occupying the left wing of the complex have been razed down completely.

It will be recalled that the NPA had given occupants of the PTML container complex an eviction notice in 2016.

But the chairman of the complex, Chukwuemeka Shedrack had kicked against the order, saying that NPA was trying to render the operators homeless. The occupants alleged that there was an attempt by NPA to concession the complex to a popular port concessionaire.

The occupants subsequently took NPA to court in 2017.