The family of three siblings who lost their lives in the devastating fire that ravaged the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island, on December 24, 2025, has announced their burial arrangements.
The siblings, Stephen (40), Casmir (39), and Collins (37), were trapped and burnt beyond recognition when the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Lagos Island caught fire.
The family, in a poster shared on social media and signed by Rev. Fr. William Omatu for the Family, expressed their regret over the loss of their loved ones and announced that a Parish Service and Songs and Requiem Mass would be held on January 7, 2026, at Jesus the Saviour Catholic Church, Ken Nlemedim Street, Bucknor Ejigbi, Lagos.
The burial mass and interment are scheduled to take place on January 14, 2026, at Nze Omatu Ikuamaeze Compound, Umumgboma, Umarugwy, Uzoakwa, Ihiala LGA, Anambra State.
The fire, which broke out on the fourth floor of the building, spread rapidly, trapping occupants, including traders, and causing part of the structure to collapse.
Emergency officials have cited poor storage practices, highly combustible materials, and structural design issues as factors that intensified the incident.
The incident has sparked outrage and allegations of negligence, with relatives of the victims claiming that the Lagos State Government and emergency agencies failed to conduct proper evacuation efforts, leading to unnecessary loss of life.
A brother to the three siblings, Camillus Ugochukwu Omatu had told the media that workers on site had no sense of urgency and adequate equipment to clear debris from the collapsed extension, which had blocked exit routes.
“After days of search for the victims, we accessed the building through the assistance of scavengers who are allegedly around to buy irons scraps. It was discovered that all bodies are burnt beyond recognition. We resorted to taking ashes from the troubled area for their burial.
“Since the accident, the surviving brother has been engaging stakeholders for possible evacuation of the collapsed extension area which blocked and trapped the victims in the building. But all efforts yielded no result as Lagos State Govt had claimed no casualty recorded.
“I left Abuja for Lagos and resumed at the accident site on Sunday, December 28, 2025.
“All engagements for possible rescue continued but the workers on site seemed not to be working with any sense of emergency, no adequate equipment to evacuate debris until we sought the help of scavengers who told us they have been accessing the place unofficially for purchase of iron scraps.
“For days, nobody helped us. We kept begging officials, but they moved like there was no emergency. Lagos State keeps saying no casualty was recorded, but how can they say that when we carried ashes of our own relatives?” he had told the media.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) however stated that many of the traders who became trapped in the building were those who ignored warnings and were more intent on recovering their goods.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had confirmed eight deaths from the fire with three burnt behind recognition while thirteen traders trapped in the rubbles were rescued alive.
The incident has left a trail of destruction and grief in the community, with many families still searching for their loved ones, as the Lagos State Government promised to investigate the cause of the fire and take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
