- Safiu Kehinde
The Lagos State Government has debunked claims attributing the death of Afriland Towers fire casualties to injuries and the Fire Service alleged inability to quickly contain the inferno.
NPO Reported that the tragic incident which occurred on Tuesday claimed the lives of 10 people with several others injured.
The casualties include four staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and six officials of the United Capital.
However, as against insinuations that the Fire Service did not do enough to stop the blaze, the Lagos State Government in a joint Press Conference maintained that the deceased died from inhalation of smoke.
Speaking at the Press Conference held on Thursday at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, the Lagos Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, urged people to shun rumors about the sad incidents.
While condoling families of the deceased, Omotoso said the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had, in the wake of the incident as well as the Mandilas market fire outbreak which occurred hours after, ordered probe into the cause of the occurrences.
The Commissioner said the government, which commissioned 62 fire trucks in one day last year, would not relent in putting in place modalities to ensure emergency responders carry out their duty promptly, efficiently and effectively.
As quoted in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, Omotoso, said the state has, among other facilities, a ladder that “can reach more than 10 floors of a tall building”.
He reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to the protection of lives and property.
The safety of lives, according to the commissioner, is an important aspect of governance in Lagos which the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration will continue to invest in safety infrastructure.
On behalf of the governor, Omotoso described the “ugly” incidents as “unfortunate” and extended condolences to families and businesses affected by the fires.
Providing technical details about the Afriland incident, the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, explained that preliminary findings revealed the fire originated in the building’s basement, where emergency backup batteries were stored.
He said the smoke spread quickly through the air-conditioning ducts, causing panic among occupants and escalating the incident.
Mojola, who noted that first responders arrived promptly at the venue of the incident, said the victims died of inhalation of smoke.
Reiterating the government’s proactive approach, Mojola said more than 200 high-rise buildings across Lagos had already undergone fire safety certification in 2025.
He urged property owners and facility managers to cooperate with regulatory agencies by registering their premises for routine safety inspections.
On her part, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs Margaret Adeseye, said her team arrived at the scene in less than 20 minutes after receiving a distress call.
She said firefighters successfully curtailed the spread of the flames and rescued several trapped victims, despite operational challenges posed by crowd interference and traffic congestion.
Adeseye also noted that the Afriland Towers fire started from the basement of the building, where inverter batteries were kept, and spread to the other parts of the building.
The Director of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Dr Wuraola Makinde, disclosed that emergency medical personnel were immediately deployed and many smoke inhalation patients received prompt treatment.
She said no victim died of fire injuries, but due to inhalation of smoke, adding that those who sustained injuries were taken to the General Hospital in Lagos and treated for free.
Three of them, she said, had been discharged and reunited with their families.