Lagos was thrown into mourning this week after a devastating fire ripped through Afriland Towers on Broad Street, killing ten workers from two major institutions. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) confirmed the loss of four employees, while United Capital Plc announced the death of six staff members, marking one of the city’s most shocking corporate tragedies in recent years.
In a statement released on Thursday, Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS Chairman, identified the victims as Mrs. Ekelikhostse George, Mr. David Sunday-Jatto, Mrs. Nkem Onyemelukwe, and Mr. Peter Ifaranmaye. They were stationed on the sixth and seventh floors of the tower, which housed FIRS’s Medium Tax Audit and Onikan Emerging Tax Office.
“It is with great sorrow that FIRS announces the tragic loss of four staff members in the fire at Afriland Towers,” the agency said, adding that its officials had promptly alerted the fire service but were overwhelmed as thick smoke spread rapidly. The service has now pledged to investigate the disaster alongside Lagos authorities while reviewing safety protocols across all its offices nationwide.
United Capital Plc also expressed heartbreak over its loss, describing the six deceased employees as “an integral part of our company and family.” The investment firm said the tragedy had created “an immeasurable void” in its operations.
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Panic erupted on Broad Street as the fire broke out in the building’s basement, believed to have started from the inverter room. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as smoke raced upward, trapping workers on higher floors. Videos from the incident showed desperate occupants leaping from windows, with passersby rushing forward with ladders and makeshift safety cushions to save lives. Others smashed glass to escape the suffocating smoke, while some clung to ledges, awaiting rescue.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service later confirmed that the blaze had engulfed several floors before being brought under control. Smoke was seen billowing from upper levels, as emergency teams battled to evacuate hundreds of occupants.
Afriland Towers, a commercial hub in the heart of Lagos Island, is home to multiple corporate offices, making Tuesday’s tragedy a grim reminder of safety challenges in high-rise buildings across the city. The grief now felt in the offices of FIRS and United Capital is echoed by a wider nation grappling with the painful human cost of the disaster.
