Individuals from Southeast exploiting market fires for ethnic agenda – Sanwo-Olu’s aide

By : Segun Adewole

Date: 3 January 2026 4:10pm WAT

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Wale Ajetunmobi (R) Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu (L)

Wale Ajetunmobi (R) Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu (L)

Wale Ajetunmobi, a Senior Special Assistant on Media to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said it has become a routine “for some hopeless individuals from the Southeast” to fabricate an agenda from every fire incident in Lagos markets, even when the fires are caused by unsafe practices by the very people affected.

“These bigoted morons will come here to create misleading narratives that falsely portray all traders across Lagos major markets as Igbo, Sanwo-Olu’s aide lamented in a post on X.

Describing their attitude as disgusting, Ajetunmobi pointed out that the misbegotten individuals have no understanding of Lagos market composition, “yet they are quick to spread senseless opinions to make the fire tragedies appear as deliberate arson.”

This was after an X user, Obiasogu David @afrisagacity, lamented that “in just seven days, three different markets dominated by Igbo businesses have been razed down by strange fire, with billions of naira lost.” Obiasogu listed the markets to include Balogun Market, Arena Market Oshodi, and Ikotun Market, noting that the occurrence couldn’t be a mere coincidence of misfortune.”

Reacting, Sanwo-Olu’s aide accused Obiasogu of trying to make the recent fires recorded in some major markets in Lagos seem like deliberate sabotage by the Yoruba against Igbo businesses. “A lot of them have pushed the same narrative in the past few days,” he stressed.

“While this pathetic rat sits in his rustic village hut, tweeting nonsense from his insane mind, he is completely unaware that the GNI building in Balogun Market, where the fire started, is owned by Oodu’a Group — a Yoruba corporation. Do the Yoruba need to set fire to their own 24-storey building because of anyone? This kind of knee-jerk action has never been part of our history.

“This misbegotten Obidient rat also doesn’t know that the fire from GNI building had greater negative impacts on Yoruba traders in the market. One of my colleague SSAs in Lagos State Government had his wife’s shops (yes, shops) burnt down in the plaza backing the GNI building.

“A friend living in Abuja (Seyi Babaeko) also called me days ago, detailing his sister’s multi-million Naira loss in the fire. “One of the oldest mosques in Lagos, Shitta-Bey Mosque on Martins Street — dating back to the early 19th century — was completely razed by the fire. The mosque sat adjacent to the GNI building,” he said. Unsafe practices by traders in Lagos markets Ajetunmobi then listed the unsafe practices common with shop owners in Lagos markets and other reasons for frequent fire outbreaks in the state.

He lamented that traders in Balogun Market often place industrial generators on the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors of high-rise buildings that have been converted into warehouses. He said the traders stored flammable materials in poorly ventilated rooms without considering the dangers.

“They placed GeePee tanks with flammable contents next to running generators on upper floors of multi-storey buildings. Traders used every available space, including staircases, as storage rooms, leaving no room for safe evacuation in case of an emergency.

“Traders are illegally tapping electricity from distant locations to the market and trading behind electric transformers. They also store combustible materials close to transformers. “What exactly are these traders’ actions expected to lead to? Whenever a fire breaks out due to these unsafe practices, hopeless bigots from the Southeast will take the opportunity to push senseless victim agenda, as though their people are the only ones trading in affected markets,” he said.

He pointed out that Yoruba, Hausa, Igala, Ibibio and other ethnic groups trading in the razed markets are equally guilty and affected by the disaster as any other group.

“These bigoted individuals from the Southeast also overlooked the fact that Lagos State Government conducts advocacy campaigns in markets throughout September and into the dry season (end of the year), when scorching weather is experienced. These campaigns aim to ensure traders follow rules and practice safe trading.

“Anyone who now claims these market fire tragedies were deliberately planned against only Igbo traders or anyone else is simply crying wolf. These divisive narrative promoters have nothing anywhere beyond their smartphones used for posting the senseless agenda,” he said.

The Guardian reported that Governor Sanwo-Olu once again visited the scene of the GNI building fire on Lagos Island, confirming eight dead. He also certified the environment unsafe while emergency agencies work to restore normalcy in the area.

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