The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has expressed deep sorrow over Tuesday’s tragic fire at the Afriland Building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, which claimed ten lives and left several others injured.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, Mrs. Tinubu extended her condolences to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the people of Lagos, and the families of the victims. She also sympathised with corporate organisations directly affected by the blaze, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), United Capital, and the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
“I condole with Gov. Sanwo-Olu, the people of the state, and affected organisations, including FIRS and UBA, over the tragic fire at Afriland Towers that claimed ten lives,” the First Lady said. “May God Almighty comfort the families, colleagues, and loved ones of the departed and the injured during this time of deep grief and pain.”
Mrs. Tinubu further prayed for the peaceful repose of the deceased, quick recovery for the injured, and strength for grieving families to endure what she described as an “irreplaceable loss.”
The fire at Afriland Towers, a commercial complex housing several organisations, has been described as one of the deadliest in Lagos Island in recent years. Emergency officials confirmed that the blaze, which reportedly began in the inverter room before spreading through the building, killed at least ten people and injured several others. Smoke reportedly engulfed the emergency exits, complicating evacuation efforts.
Videos of the inferno circulated widely on social media, initially sparking fears that UBA’s Marina headquarters had been affected, before the bank clarified that the damage was confined to its Broad Street branch.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, supported by the Federal Fire Service and other emergency responders, battled for hours to contain the fire and rescue trapped occupants.
The tragedy was one of two separate fire outbreaks in the Lagos Island business district on Tuesday, raising public concern over fire safety standards in commercial high-rises across the state.
