Lagos, July 1, 2025 — A Lagos landlady, Mrs. Gloria Unazoi, has officially refuted claims that a recent fire at a fuel station on Old Akute Road, Obawole, Ifako‑Ijaiye, began in her building located directly behind the station.
In a letter dated June 26 and issued through her attorneys, Bodunde Bankole & Co (signed by Adedapo Adepegba), Mrs Unazoi challenged comments made by Jubril Gawat, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Sanwo‑Olu, suggesting the blaze originated from her premises. She firmly declared that “the fire did not start from the building behind the filling station, which is our client’s building” .
Unazoi’s legal team clarified that the incident was the result of a failure in the fuel discharge process, specifically, the mishandling during the transfer of Premium Motor Spirit from the tanker into the underground tank at the filling station. They noted that when a similar fire occurred in 2023, they had already urged the station’s management to implement robust safety measures, which were allegedly ignored. As a result of that negligence, both the station and her tenants suffered significant damage .
Eyewitnesses at the time reported a loud explosion from the underground tank, with subsequent flames quickly drawing attention. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service intervened swiftly, deploying units to prevent the fire from spreading further .
Mrs Unazoi’s statement serves to clear her property of any responsibility for the ignition of the fire. Her lawyers emphasised that, following the earlier safety warning to the fuel station owner, it was the station’s “failure, neglect, and refusal” to adopt preventive measures that directly led to the accident and the resulting losses borne by her tenants .
