… Orders Demolition
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday confirmed the death of eight persons in the fire incident that gutted the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Building on Martins Street, Lagos Island, on Christmas Eve, ordering decisive measures, including the demolition of unsafe structures in the area.
The governor spoke during an on-the-spot assessment of the fire-ravaged building, nine days after the inferno, with pockets of fire still visible at the site.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that 13 persons were rescued alive from the building, while search and recovery operations confirmed eight fatalities.
Describing the incident as tragic and deeply painful, the governor led members of his entourage in observing a minute of silence in honour of those who lost their lives.
He attributed the outbreak of the fire to human error and stressed the need for stricter compliance with safety regulations in commercial and residential buildings across the state.
The governor revealed that several adjoining buildings along Martins Street, Shitta Street and Breadfruit Street were affected by the fire, noting that multiple generators were discovered on different floors of nearby shopping plazas—an unsafe practice he said significantly increases fire risks.
Sanwo-Olu warned that the state government would not hesitate to take tough decisions, including the demolition of any structure found to have failed integrity tests after thorough technical assessments, declaring the immediate vicinity of the GNI building unsafe and restricting access pending a phased demolition.
He also advised traders and business owners to prioritise their lives over property during emergencies, while the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has set up a help desk at the scene to document reports of missing persons and support affected families.
