- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has held a memorial service in honour of the four staff of the service who died in the Afriland Towers fire incident earlier this month.
NPO Reported that the eight-storey building situated at Broad Street, Lagos Island, was on the 16th of September engulfed in thick smoke following a fire outbreak from an inverter room.
Videos of the scary incident showed staff of firms and companies within the facility desperately evacuating with some jumping off the building.
While no casualties were initially reported, death toll began to count with the FIRS, an occupant of the building confirming the death four members of staff.
As contained in a statement issued by the service the following day, the deceased staff identified as Mrs Ekelikhostse George (Assistant Director), Mr David Sunday-Jatto (assistant director), Mrs Nkem Onyemelukwe (senior manager) and Mr Peter Ifaranmaye (manager).
They were working at one of the two FIRS offices housed on the sixth and seventh floors of the towers when the tragedy struck.
Another occupant of the building, the United Capital, would later announce the death of six of its staff, bringing the death toll to ten.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government, in a press conference held days after the incident, debunked claims attributing the death of Afriland Towers fire casualties to injuries and the Fire Service alleged inability to quickly contain the inferno.
The state government confirmed that the casualties died due to the inhalation of smoke.
Leading the management team and Directors of the service, FIRS Chairman, Dr. Zaach Adedeji, on Thursday. held the solemn memorial service in honour of the late officials.
Also in attendance at the event held at Highpoint Event Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, were families and colleagues of the deceased who rendered heartfelt prayers for the peaceful repose of their souls.