A Lagos landlady, Mrs. Gloria Unazoi, has refuted claims that her property was the source of a fire that broke out at a petrol station along Old Akute Road in the Obawole area of Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos State.
The incident, which occurred last week, drew widespread attention after the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Jubril Gawat, suggested via social media that the fire may have started “from a building behind the filling station.”
In a formal response dated June 26, 2025, and made available on Monday, Unazoi, through her legal representatives — Bodunde Bankole and Co., led by Adedapo Adepegba — strongly denied the allegation. She confirmed that her building is situated directly behind the station in question but insisted it was not the source of the blaze.
“We can categorically state and prove that the fire did not start from the building behind the filling station, which is our client’s building,” the statement read.
According to her lawyers, the fire was triggered during the discharge of petrol from a tanker into the underground storage tanks of the station, which they described as a clear case of operational mishandling.
They added that the station had been previously warned following a similar incident in 2023. On that occasion, Unazoi reportedly wrote to the station’s owner urging the implementation of preventive safety measures. However, those warnings were allegedly ignored.
“The said owner failed, neglected, and refused to do so,” the letter continued. “It was his refusal, failure, and neglect that caused the fire incident and not any fault of our client or her tenant in the building, who have suffered extensive damage to their belongings.”
Eyewitnesses said the explosion occurred around 4:00 p.m., sending shockwaves through the surrounding community, including K Farms Estate. Residents claimed the fire began underground before spreading to the surface facilities of the station.
Emergency responders from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service quickly arrived at the scene, cordoning off the premises to contain the fire and prevent further spread.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the fire service, Shakiru Amodu, said the blaze was swiftly curtailed before it could affect adjacent buildings.