A fire on Monday gutted the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos, destroying property reportedly worth millions of naira shortly after the command’s new deputy comptroller, Timothy Jonah, assumed duty.
The fire reportedly started around 10:23am in the conference room following an electrical surge before spreading to other sections of the building. 
Customs personnel on duty initially battled to contain the flames before officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:45am to support the firefighting operation.
Speaking after the incident, Jonah described the timing as unfortunate, noting that he had only just arrived at the command to take over from his predecessor.
“I just resumed duty to take over, only to witness this fire outbreak,” he said.
Despite the incident, Jonah said the fire should serve as an opportunity for the command to strengthen its operations and safety measures.
“Every challenge, though negative, is an opportunity to strengthen our operations,” he said.
The deputy comptroller also announced plans to set up a committee to investigate the incident and establish the exact cause of the fire.
“In the meantime, we will set up a committee to investigate the cause of the fire,” Jonah said.
He commended Customs personnel and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service for their swift response, saying their efforts helped prevent the fire from causing further damage.
Jonah added that the command would review its existing safety protocols to reduce the risk of a similar incident in the future.
The exact value of the property destroyed had yet to be independently established as of the time of reporting, although the losses were estimated at millions of naira.
The Western Marine Command is one of the operational commands of the NCS in Lagos, with responsibilities covering maritime enforcement, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling activities.
The incident temporarily disrupted operations at the Apapa facility, located within one of Nigeria’s busiest maritime and commercial hubs.
Authorities are expected to assess the extent of the damage while the planned investigation determines how the fire started and whether electrical faults were responsible for the outbreak.
For Jonah, who had just assumed his new role, the incident marked an unexpected first challenge as he began his tenure at the command.
