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Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu directs demolition of fire-ravaged GNI House on Martins Street
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Building converted to warehouse storing inflammable materials
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No deaths recorded as fire guts over 10 buildings on Lagos Island
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered the demolition of the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) House on Lagos Island following a devastating fire that engulfed the building.
The directive was issued on Thursday when the governor visited the scene of the inferno at Martins Street, Lagos Island, to assess the level of damage and ongoing emergency response.
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Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the state government had constituted a special committee, headed by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Gbenga Oyerinde, to determine the safest and fastest method of pulling down the structure within days.
According to the governor, preliminary findings revealed that the building, originally designed for office use, had been converted into a warehouse, with several floors used to store highly combustible materials, a development that worsened the fire outbreak.
The fire, he said, started from the fourth and fifth floors late on Wednesday night before spreading rapidly to the upper levels of the high-rise building.
“This building has had fire incidents in the past. Unfortunately, it was being used as a warehouse, with inflammable materials stored across multiple floors, which made firefighting extremely difficult,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He explained that although emergency responders arrived promptly and deployed aerial ladder equipment, the intensity of the fire escalated around 8pm due to the nature of materials stored inside the structure.
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The governor confirmed that no lives were lost in the incident but noted that between seven and 10 people sustained injuries and were taken to hospitals by ambulances operated by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).
Sanwo-Olu added that parts of the building had already collapsed partially, making demolition unavoidable once the fire is fully extinguished.
He also renewed calls for heightened fire safety awareness, especially during the dry season between December and February, when harmattan conditions significantly increase fire risks.
“People must stop storing highly inflammable materials in residential and office buildings, especially in densely populated market areas. We will intensify advocacy and enforcement to prevent a repeat of this,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the Operational Commander of the Federal Fire Service in Lagos, Musa Emmanuel, said firefighters were still battling the blaze, adding that the close proximity of surrounding buildings and the unknown contents of the affected structures had complicated suppression efforts.
He noted that the cause of the fire would be determined after the site is secured, confirming that no fatalities had been recorded so far.
Reports indicate that more than 10 buildings were affected, with at least two severely damaged and several others partially impacted.
Emergency responders from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASEMA, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Federal Fire Service, and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) remain on ground managing the incident.
