A senior media aide to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has strongly criticized what he describes as a deliberate attempt by certain individuals to fabricate an ethnic agenda from recent devastating fires in Lagos markets.
Allegations of Fabricated Ethnic Narratives
Wale Ajetunmobi, a Senior Special Assistant on Media, stated that it has become routine for some hopeless individuals from the Southeast to create misleading narratives from every fire incident. He made these remarks in a post on X on 3 January 2026, reacting to claims that fires in three major markets within a week targeted Igbo businesses.
The aide specifically responded to an X user, Obiasogu David (@afrisagacity), who lamented that Balogun Market, Arena Market Oshodi, and Ikotun Market—all dominated by Igbo businesses—had been razed by strange fires within seven days, with billions of naira lost. Obiasogu suggested this was not a mere coincidence.
Ajetunmobi accused such individuals of trying to portray the fires as deliberate sabotage by the Yoruba against Igbo businesses, calling their actions disgusting and their opinions senseless. He stressed that many have pushed this same narrative in recent days.
Facts Countering the Ethnic Sabotage Claim
In a detailed rebuttal, Ajetunmobi presented facts to counter the narrative. He pointed out that the GNI building in Balogun Market, where the fire started, is owned by the Oodu'a Group—a Yoruba corporation. He questioned why Yoruba people would set fire to their own 24-storey building.
He further revealed that the fire had severe consequences for Yoruba traders and landmarks. A colleague's wife lost shops in the plaza behind the GNI building, and a friend's sister suffered multi-million naira losses. Tragically, the historic Shitta-Bey Mosque on Martins Street, dating back to the early 19th century, was completely razed as it sat adjacent to the burning building.
Ajetunmobi emphasized that traders from various ethnic groups—Yoruba, Hausa, Igala, Ibibio, and others—were equally guilty of unsafe practices and equally affected by the disasters in the razed markets.
Unsafe Practices: The Root Cause of Market Fires
The governor's aide shifted focus to the actual causes of the frequent fire outbreaks, listing dangerous habits common among traders. He lamented that in Balogun Market, traders often place industrial generators on the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors of high-rise buildings converted into warehouses.
Other reckless practices include storing flammable materials in poorly ventilated rooms, placing fuel tanks next to running generators on upper floors, and using staircases as storage rooms, blocking safe evacuation routes. He also cited illegal electricity tapping and storing combustible materials close to transformers.
Ajetunmobi noted that the Lagos State Government conducts regular advocacy campaigns in markets, especially during the dry season, to educate traders on safety rules. He concluded that anyone claiming the fires were planned against only Igbo traders is simply crying wolf, and that the promoters of such divisive narratives have nothing beyond their smartphones.
In related news, Governor Sanwo-Olu confirmed eight deaths after revisiting the GNI building fire scene on Lagos Island. He certified the environment unsafe as emergency agencies worked to restore normalcy.
