The death toll from the inferno that gutted Afriland Towers, a six-storey commercial building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, has risen to 10. The fire, which broke out on Tuesday, initially claimed four lives, but six more victims were confirmed dead yesterday.
Among the latest casualties were six staff members of United Capital Plc, whose offices occupy the third and fourth floors of the building. The firm, in a statement, described the deaths as an “immeasurable loss” and announced plans for a memorial service to honour its late employees.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, in an update signed by its Director, Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the fatalities, noting that further investigations showed that 10 adults—male and female—were lost in the tragedy.
Earlier, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had confirmed the deaths of four of its senior staff, including Assistant Directors Mrs. Ekelikhostse George and Mr. David Sunday-Jatto. Tragically, Jatto was said to have been in the office only to hand over to his successor when the fire struck.
Investigations by emergency responders revealed that the blaze originated from the inverter room in the basement, quickly spreading smoke through multiple floors and trapping occupants.
In separate condolence messages, President Bola Tinubu, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Speaker of the Lagos Assembly Mudashiru Obasa, and Labour Party’s 2025 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
Tinubu, through his spokesman Bayo Onanuga, called for more training and vigilance in workplaces to prevent such tragedies. He praised emergency workers for their “valiant efforts” and prayed for the repose of the dead and quick recovery for the injured.
Governor Sanwo-Olu described the fire as “unfortunate and heartbreaking,” pledging that Lagos would strengthen safety measures to prevent a repeat. Obi, in his message, extended his condolences not only to Afriland Towers victims but also to traders at Mandilas Market and nearby plazas who lost goods in related fire outbreaks.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded a thorough probe into the spate of fires across Lagos and called for adequate compensation for victims’ families.
The management of both FIRS and United Capital Plc assured that they were working closely with authorities to determine the root cause of the fire while offering support to the families of the deceased.
