The Lagos State Government has confirmed that eight people lost their lives in the Christmas Eve fire that engulfed the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building in Lagos.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this on Friday during an inspection of the affected structure, where traces of fire were still visible nine days after the incident.
The governor expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and led officials on the inspection team in observing a minute of silence in honour of the victims.
“We have confirmed that eight lives were lost in this unfortunate fire. Our hearts go out to their families. This is a very painful incident for all of us,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Preliminary findings, according to the governor, indicated that the fire was caused by human error linked to unsafe practices within the affected building and surrounding structures.
He revealed that several neighbouring buildings were also affected, noting that numerous generators were found operating on different floors of shopping complexes along Shitta, Martins and Breadfruit streets.
“What we observed here is extremely disturbing. Generators placed on multiple floors pose a serious danger. We will not hesitate to take tough decisions, including demolishing any structure that fails integrity tests,” he warned.
Sanwo-Olu consequently declared the area around the GNI building unsafe and directed residents and traders to stay away until a phased and coordinated demolition exercise is completed.
“This environment is not safe for human activity at the moment. We appeal to everyone to cooperate with the government and keep away until the demolition is concluded,” he said.
The governor also cautioned traders to prioritise their lives over property during emergencies, stressing that no material possession is worth human life.
“In this incident, some people were evacuated safely but returned to retrieve their goods, and that decision proved fatal. We must learn from this experience,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has established a help desk at the site to allow residents and business owners to report missing persons connected to the affected buildings for proper documentation.
Top government officials who accompanied the governor during the inspection included the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, and senior emergency management officials.
Martins Street has been shut to business and commercial activities until further notice to allow for continued safety assessments and recovery operations.