The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has confirmed that three persons, including a China-based trader, died in the fire outbreak that gutted the Great Nigeria Insurance House in the Balogun Market area of Lagos Island.
The victims were identified as a trader popularly known as Obum, who had recently returned from China, another adult male and a female. They were trapped after a detached section of the multi-storey plaza collapsed during the inferno.
The fire was said to have started on Wednesday on the fourth floor of the 25-storey building before spreading to the sixth floor and other parts of the structure, as well as nearby buildings. Part of the plaza later collapsed while traders and market assistants were evacuating their goods.
Confirming the incident on Saturday, LASEMA said the bodies were recovered during ongoing search and rescue operations.
In a statement, the agency’s spokesperson, Nosa Okunbor, said, “An adult female was extricated dead from within the collapsed structure and handed over to her husband. One decapitated adult male was recovered with severed limbs, while another adult male was extricated with the body intact.”
Okunbor added that several victims were rescued alive.
“A total of eight males were rescued with varying degrees of injuries and taken to the hospital, including a fireman. Five others—three males and two females—suffered minor injuries, received first aid at the scene and were discharged,” he said.
A trader at the market, Zacheaus Afolayan, confirmed that one of the deceased was Obum, a clothier based in China who returned to Nigeria mainly during festive periods to do business.
“When his body was released later, we confirmed it was Obum. His body was intact, and his family has taken it to Anambra for burial,” Afolayan said.
He explained that Obum was evacuating his goods when the structure collapsed.
“He had moved almost everything out and went back for the last items when the detached part of the building collapsed on his shop,” he added.
According to Afolayan, Obum had contacted him from beneath the rubble hours after the collapse.
“He called me around 2am, saying he was still alive and not the only one trapped. He begged us not to let him die, saying no one would care for his children,” he said, adding that the trader sounded weaker when he called again later in the day.
Meanwhile, relatives of other victims have appealed for increased support for rescue operations, alleging that efforts had slowed due to limited manpower and equipment.
One relative, Fatima Ibitoye, said two of her brothers were still missing.
“It has been four days. They only have one caterpillar here and it keeps breaking down. That is why the rescue is slow,” she said.
Another relative, Kayode, alleged that firemen had stopped supplying water to some sections of the building. “The heat from the rubble is too much. Our people are still trapped and we need urgent help,” he said.
Responding, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters were still at the scene. Its spokesperson, Shakiru Amodu, said, “We are still on ground and will stay till ground zero. At this stage, what we are dealing with are casualties, not trapped persons, but we will not abandon the site.
