Traders at the popular Army Arena Market in Oshodi, Lagos, were thrown into a frenzy on Tuesday evening as a devastating fire broke out, engulfing several sections of the market in flames.
The fire reportedly started around 6 pm on Tuesday. From videos shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday evening, The Guardian observed traders scampering to salvage their wares as thick smoke billowed across the market, with many clamouring for help.
The incident was confirmed by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, which stated: “There’s a fire outbreak inside Arena Shopping Mall along Agege Motor Road, Oshodi. Men of @LagosRescue are on ground to extinguish the inferno.”
The Arena Market fire comes a week after the popular Balogun Market in Lagos suffered a similar tragedy. On Christmas Eve, traders in the Balogun Market suffered a tragedy when a fire started at the Great Nigeria Insurance on Martins Street and quickly spread to five other buildings on Wednesday.
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The Tuesday fire was not the first outbreak in the Arena Market in 2025. In August, an inferno swept through the market, and traders suffered losses worth millions of naira.
According to reports, the Arena Market inferno in August was caused by a power surge, a claim some traders rejected.