Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday visited the scene of a major fire outbreak that gutted the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island.
The fire, which broke out at about 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, reportedly started from the fourth floor of the building before spreading to other sections of the high-rise.
Several neighbouring structures were also affected by the inferno, including the seven-storey Radio Nigeria building, Oluwole Plaza, a mosque, and other adjoining properties in the area.
Emergency responders from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Federal Fire Service, and other agencies battled the fire for more than 10 hours, with flames still visible into the early hours of Christmas Day.
Sanwo-Olu’s visit was confirmed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, who said the governor was at the scene to carry out an on-the-spot assessment of the situation as part of the government’s coordinated response.
A video shared by Akosile showed the governor walking through debris-strewn streets alongside firefighters and emergency officials.
Providing an update on the incident, LASEMA spokesperson, Nosa Okunbor, said the fire had been largely contained, though emergency crews were still carrying out dampening-down operations to prevent a resurgence.
According to him, seven adult males sustained varying degrees of burn injuries, while five others suffered from smoke inhalation. All affected persons were treated by emergency medical teams at the scene before being taken to nearby hospitals for further care.
Okunbor added that the Radio Nigeria building opposite the high-rise had been successfully extinguished and that most adjoining buildings were salvaged through coordinated emergency efforts.
