The blaze started at about 10:23am, reportedly after an electrical surge
in the conference room, before spreading to other parts of the building. Customs officers on duty attempted to
contain the fire before personnel from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service
arrived at about 10:45am. Deputy
Comptroller of Customs Timothy Jonah, who had just assumed command, described
the incident as unfortunate and announced that a committee would be set up to
investigate its cause. Jonah praised
the Customs personnel who responded to the fire and the Lagos State Fire and
Rescue Service for their efforts, adding that the command would strengthen its
safety measures to prevent similar incidents in future.