Traders at the popular leather, foam and upholstery market in Mushin, Lagos, have been left devastated after a late-night fire engulfed a building on Dakobiri Street, destroying goods and property worth millions of naira.

The fire incident, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, June 10, 2026, reportedly started around 2:00 a.m., throwing the densely populated commercial community into panic.

The affected building, widely known for the sale of furniture materials, foam, leather products and upholstery supplies, suffered extensive damage as flames quickly spread from one shop to others used for storing highly flammable materials.

A visit to the scene on Thursday revealed a completely burnt structure. Several traders whose goods were destroyed were seen in deep sorrow, counting their losses and struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.

Many victims declined to speak due to emotional distress, while a few who spoke with Mushines News described the incident as heartbreaking.

“This is a very difficult time for us. We don’t even know where to start again. Nothing can console us except God, and we believe He will help us rise again,” one affected trader said.

Speaking on the incident, the Baale of Oke Mushin, Chief Tajudeen Lasisi Faronbi, said the exact cause of the fire remained unknown but disclosed that preliminary accounts from some street boys who sleep outside the building suggested the fire started shortly after the power supply was interrupted.

According to him, eyewitnesses who sleep around the market area noticed smoke coming from a shop selling upholstery materials about an hour after electricity went off.

“Before anyone knew what was happening, thick smoke and heavy flames started coming out of the shop. Because the building contained highly flammable materials such as foam, upholstery fabrics and chair coverings, the fire spread rapidly,” he said.

Faronbi commended the swift intervention of firefighters, the police and residents, noting that some goods were successfully evacuated from shops in the building before the inferno could spread further.

Also speaking, Pastor Olakunle Harries, Secretary of the Oke Mushin Community Elders Forum, praised emergency responders for preventing looting during the incident.

“The police helped secure salvaged goods after some miscreants attempted to take advantage of the confusion to steal valuables,” he said.

The community leaders have now called on the government to enforce fire safety measures across markets, particularly the compulsory provision of fire extinguishers in shops.

Faronbi stressed that easy access to fire extinguishers could help reduce the intensity of fires before emergency responders arrive.

“In situations like this, a fire extinguisher could help contain or even put out the flames before they spread. Instead of people running around helplessly looking for water, there should be basic firefighting equipment available,” he added.

As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to officially confirm the cause of the fire. However, residents have urged relevant agencies to investigate the incident and strengthen fire prevention measures in the bustling market to avert future occurrences.