The Lagos State Government has confirmed that eight people died in the devastating fire that engulfed the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Building a day before Christmas.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who inspected the site on Friday, January 2, said 13 people were rescued alive, while only five of the deceased had been identified by their families. He led officials and onlookers in a minute of silence to honour the victims.
The governor announced that a 100-metre radius around the building had been declared unsafe and would remain closed to commercial and business activities. He warned that additional bodies might still be trapped under the structure. The eventual demolition of the building, he said, would only proceed once temperatures at the site dropped to safe levels, noting that smoke was still rising from the charred building.
Sanwo-Olu attributed the scale of the tragedy largely to recklessness and poor safety practices by traders in the area.
“A fire started, and people were more concerned about salvaging their goods than protecting their lives. Despite warnings to evacuate, many stayed behind to rescue items. Vehicular movement also obstructed first responders, complicating rescue efforts”, he said.
He stressed that the shutdown of the surrounding area would remain in force to prevent further loss of life, while investigations into the fire’s cause continue.
“Lives have been lost, properties destroyed, and livelihoods wiped out,” the governor said. “While investigations continue, it is clear that prolonged recklessness and carelessness around the back of the building contributed significantly to what happened”.
Sanwo-Olu acknowledged that the government faces difficult decisions, particularly regarding the demolition of affected structures, but emphasized that safety would take precedence.
The governor noted that visual assessments already show significant damage to the building and its surroundings, but further technical evaluations will be conducted to certify the extent of the destruction and determine the next steps.
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