Olumegbon palace, 30 rooms razed by fire

The palace of Olumegbon of Lagos in Isale Eko, Lagos State, was razed by fire on Sunday.

It was learnt that apart from the palace, 30 other rooms in the compound were also destroyed in the inferno which lasted for about an hour.

Although the cause of the fire could not be ascertained, the Lagos State Fire Service told our correspondent that the likely cause was an electric surge.

Olumegbon’s brother, Bodunrin Lawal, told our correspondent on the telephone that they could not salvage any property.

He said, “We were not in the palace when the fire started. We were told that it started about 7am and was put out less than an hour later. No life was lost but we could not save anything.”

Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Razaq Fadipe, told our correspondent that the nature of the area caused the fire to spread fast.

Fadipe said three fire trucks from different fire stations were deployed to combat the fire.

He said, “The palace is made of ancient clay and is situated in a compound which has another building with over 16 rooms. The entire property was gutted by fire. The fire then spread to Ojuolokun, which is the next street.

“We have put out the fire but unfortunately, the fire has damaged almost everything. Many of the buildings in the area are too close together and this made work difficult for us. The wiring in the area is also very porous. We believe that the fire emanated from an electrical spark.”

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said policemen had cordoned off the scene of the fire. She added that at least 30 rooms were affected.