On Thursday, April 16, 2026, around 12:00 PM, the Parcelles-Assainies district police station was alerted to a fire in a building in the Impôts et Domaines neighborhood, located in the Patte d'Oie area of Dakar.

Upon arrival, officers found that the fire had broken out in a second-floor apartment of a three-story building. According to the owner, A.M. Sow, she was not present at the time of the incident. After being informed of the fire, she went to the scene and discovered the apartment rented by her tenant, F. Thiam, was engulfed in flames.

The owner identified her husband's nephew, a man named M.L. Thiam, as responsible. She accuses him of regularly using narcotics and having a habit of lighting stoves inside the apartment.

Taking advantage of the crowd gathering, the suspect allegedly fled the scene and was initially unreachable.

Firefighters intervened and brought the blaze under control. No loss of life was reported. However, significant material damage was found in the affected apartment: a mattress, a refrigerator, and clothing were completely destroyed by the fire.

The tenant, F. Thiam, was asked to report to the police station to assist with the investigation.

Subsequently, a man named M. Diallo, assisted by another individual, escorted the suspect, M.L. Thiam, to the police station. Thiam, born in 1991, identified himself as a sales agent and a resident of Patte d'Oie. According to M. Diallo, he located and detained the accused on a football field near the fire scene.

When questioned about the incident, M.L. Thiam denied the allegations, stating he had left the apartment at 6:00 AM. He maintains he was on his way back home when he was apprehended and taken to the police station.

The public prosecutor's office has been notified, and an investigation is underway.