…HURIWA urges families to sue for damages/Compensation of N1bn each
Chidimma Uchegbu,Abuja, Ibrahim Quadri , Lagos and Ignatius Okorocha, Abuja
The Federal Government has indicated that it is deeply grieved by the tragic fire incident at the Afriland Tower in Lagos, which claimed the lives of some senior officials of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the United Capital PLC, while leaving scores injured.
This is a most painful and devastating loss, not only to the families and institutions directly affected, but to the nation as a whole.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, colleagues, and friends of the departed, as well as to the FIRS and UCP.
Our thoughts and prayers are also with all those who sustained injuries, and we wish them a full and speedy recovery.
The Federal Government is working closely with the Lagos State Government to ensure that such tragic occurrences are thoroughly investigated and that appropriate measures are taken to prevent their recurrence in the future.
May the Almighty comfort the bereaved, heal the wounded, and grant the nation the strength to overcome this painful moment.
Also, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has sympathised with immediate families, organisations and Lagosians who lost their loved ones and goods in Tuesday’s fire outbreak at Afriland Towers, a six-storey commercial building on Broad Street in the Lagos Island area of the State.
The Governor who described the fire outbreak as unfortunate, said he is shocked by the ugly incident that claimed the lives of people and the destruction of properties.
Governor Sanwo-Olu commiserated with the management and staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and United Capital PLC, a financial and investment services firm, who lost four and six staff members, respectively, in the fire incident.
The Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Media and Publicity, Mr Gboyega Akosile, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the Governor, on behalf of the Lagos State Government, genuinely shares their grief.
He said: “The fire incident at Afriland Towers in Broad Street was worrisome and a significant loss to Lagos State Government, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), United Capital PLC and other companies and individuals, with property worth millions of Naira destroyed.
“It is with a heavy heart that I received news of the fire outbreak. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and the management and staff of all the organisations that lost their loved ones in the ugly incident. I wish the injured persons a speedy recovery”
The Governor also expressed his deepest sympathies to traders at the Central Plaza, near Mandilas Market who also lost valuable assets and goods worth millions of Naira in the inferno that occurred at their market.
He pledged the government’s continued support for further prevention and arrest of such ugly incidents.
Sanwo-Olu also commended the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Federal Fire Service, and other first responders for their swift response in extinguishing the fire and reducing the number of casualties.
Meanwhile, grieved by the number of lives lost at the fire that gutted a number of buildings in lagos on Tuesday, Civil Rights advocacy Group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has said the deaths recorded in the Afriland Towers Fire incident that killed about ten top professionals, could have been avoided if only the safety precautions were put in place including fire hydrants, fire extinguishers and emergency exits.
Besides, HURIWA condemned the delay in the arrival of first responders to the scene of the inferno which contributed to the high fatalities just as the Rights group has asked the families of those who died in the fire incident to institute legal suits against the owners of the housing complex, the Lagos State and federal governments and prayed the court to grant each of the claimants the compensation of not less than N1 billion.
The group claimed that the fire outbreak was as a result of the criminal negligence to protect the occupants from avoidable deaths that occurred on Tuesday.
“We watched on live social media videos as good spirited Nigerians battled for nearly one hour to salvage the situation and save the lives of the Nigerians trapped in the building that experienced a fire incident and there was one noticeable factor: the absence of professional first responders such as the Lagos fire service department, the State and national emergency management agencies”.
“We also noticed that the massive structure itself lacked the necessary fire fighting facilities that could have been deployed even before external first responders arrived.
Why for instance does Lagos State not have air ambulances that could have been seamlessly deployed to the scene of the fire disaster on Wednesday to rescue as many people as possible?”
“Lagos State government is guilty of criminal negligence by not enforcing safety codes for high-rise buildings which is the fundamental reason that infernos in buildings of Lagos State have killed many citizens in recent times just as many Nigerians have lost billions of Naira worth of commercial assets due to fire incidents that could have been avoided”.
HURIWA through the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said the government is constitutionally obliged to prevent such unnecessary fire incidents or at most minimise the consequences by implementing effective fire and emergency safety codes for commercial and private high-rise structures.
Definitely, the legal duty to prevent such avoidable fire disasters is that of the government.
HURIWA wondered why big corporate institutions belonging to both government and private owners became so nonchalant and careless to such deadly extent that nobody could notice that the massive housing structure whereby their offices are located, lacked fire fighting facilities.
HURIWA therefore strongly believes that the families victimised by this avoidable deaths should seek legal damages and compensation from the employers of the demised relatives and from both the Lagos and federal governments for contributing to the untimely deaths of their loved ones through criminal negligence to provide emergency fire exits and other fire fighting facilities that ought to be strategically located within the building.
“HURIWA said rather than this shedding of crocodile tears by these negligent employers of those killed in the fire incident, the employers should dialogue with the families of the deceased and pay them decent monetary compensation of N1 billion each to avoid lengthy court cases.
Please save Nigerians from this hypocrisy of mourning the same staff that the employers never cared to ensure their safety.”
HURIWA recalled that Financial service provider, United Capital, has announced the death of six of its staff in the Afriland fire outbreak on Lagos Island, Lagos.
The confirmation brought the number of deaths to 10 after the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) confirmed the death of four staff in the inferno.
The fire outbreak at the six-storey building on Afriland Tower, Broad Street, Lagos Island, started some minutes to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
In a statement, United Capital said: “It is with profound grief that the Management and Staff of United Capital Plc announce the passing of six of our dear colleagues, following the tragic fire at Afriland Towers on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
“Our departed colleagues were an integral part of our company and family.
Their painful loss leaves an immeasurable void.
“We extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to their families, friends, and loved ones, and we continue to hold them in our thoughts and prayers, as well as providing all the support we can to them during this most difficult time.”
