Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, inspected the site of the devastating fire that engulfed the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island.
The inferno, which began on Christmas Eve around 5 p.m., reportedly started on the fourth floor before spreading to other parts of the building.
The blaze also affected nearby structures, including the seven-storey Radio Nigeria building, Oluwole Plaza, a mosque, and surrounding properties.
Emergency teams from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Federal Fire Service battled the fire for more than ten hours, with flames continuing into Christmas morning.
In a post on X, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, said the visit was part of a coordinated government response to the disaster.
“Mr Governor is at the scene for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation,” Akosile stated. A video shared showed Sanwo-Olu walking through debris-laden streets alongside firefighters.
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LASEMA spokesperson Nosa Okunbor provided an update, confirming the fire has been contained. He reported that seven people sustained burn injuries, while five others were treated for smoke inhalation on-site.
“The adjoining buildings near the high-rise have largely been salvaged, and efforts continue to completely extinguish the inferno,” Okunbor said. “Seven adult males suffered varying degrees of burn injuries and were attended to by our paramedics before being taken to nearby hospitals. The seven-storey Radio Nigeria building opposite the Great Nigeria Insurance House has been safely put out, and dampening-down operations are ongoing.”
The incident has raised renewed concerns over the frequency of fires in Lagos markets during the festive season, prompting calls for stricter safety measures.