Tragedy struck on Tuesday as a fire outbreak at Afriland Towers on Broad Street, Lagos, claimed the lives of 10 workers from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and United Capital Plc (UCP).
The fatalities were confirmed in separate statements released by both organisations. While FIRS said it lost four employees, UCP disclosed that six of its staff members died in the incident.
FIRS, in a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media to its Chairman, Dare Adekanmbi, identified the deceased officials as Mrs Ekelikhostse George (Assistant Director), Mr David Sunday-Jatto (Assistant Director), Mrs Nkem Onyemelukwe (Senior Manager), and Mr Peter Ifaranmaye (Manager).
The victims were working on the sixth and seventh floors of the building, which houses two FIRS offices, when the fire broke out.
“It is with a heavy heart that FIRS announces the tragic loss of four of its staff members during the fire incident at Afriland Towers,” the statement read, adding that the Medium Tax Audit and Onikan Emerging Tax Offices were the affected departments.
According to FIRS, its security team immediately contacted the fire service, but thick smoke had already engulfed the building. The agency said it was collaborating with relevant authorities to investigate the cause while also reviewing safety protocols across its offices nationwide.
UCP, in its own statement, described its deceased employees as “an integral part of our company and family,” noting that their loss leaves “an immeasurable void.”
Eyewitnesses reported chaotic scenes as workers smashed windows to escape, with some leaping down to safety while bystanders rushed to provide ladders and support. Videos from the scene showed smoke billowing from several floors of the tower as panicked occupants crowded at windows for air.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the fire originated from the inverter room in the building’s basement before spreading upwards.
Emergency responders later brought the blaze under control, but not before it claimed lives and caused widespread panic in one of Lagos Island’s busiest business districts.
