Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has confirmed that eight people died and 13 others survived the Christmas Eve fire that engulfed the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building on Martins Street, Lagos Island.
Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said the fire spread to nearby structures, including a mosque and Oluwole Plaza, before firefighters brought it under control.
LASEMA earlier reported that three people died and 12 others were injured in the blaze.
Sanwo-Olu visited the site following the incident and ordered the full demolition of the GNI building, noting that it had partially collapsed during the fire.
During a subsequent visit on Friday, the governor provided updated casualty figures, confirming eight fatalities—five of whom have been identified, while three remain unrecognised.
READ ALSO: Sanwo-Olu Orders Demolition Of Razed GNI Building After Inspection
He said DNA tests would be conducted on the charred bodies to identify the victims and notify their families.
The governor also inspected surrounding areas, including streets adjoining Balogun Market, to assess the impact of the fire on nearby high-rise buildings.
He criticised the blatant disregard for state building regulations, describing such negligence as “unacceptable” and attributing it as a factor that exacerbated the fire.
Sanwo-Olu called for a comprehensive regeneration of Balogun Market to restore safety, order, and compliance with building standards.
“In the last one hour, I’ve gone round the streets within the market. From a non-professional assessment, it was clear that most of the buildings in the market are completely distressed,” he said.
“But we will conduct a professional assessment on all the buildings to ascertain our findings. We will not sit back and listen to people doing as they like. Lives have been lost, properties destroyed and means of livelihood shattered.
“We have seen that there has been a lot of recklessness and carelessness on the part of the traders. Going round the market, I personally counted over 14 industrial generators placed on the fourth floor and fifth floor of some buildings.
“We saw unapproved structures built on original floors approved in certain buildings. I saw shops built next to electric transformers, which goes to show how traders have been careless with their lives.
“This is an opportunity for us to embark on complete regeneration of the whole area.
“We are sending a message to property owners and developers to come forward; we will be evaluating all the buildings in the market.
“Regenerating the trading space is going to be a tough decision for us, but it is a proper step to take to preserve lives and properties. We will not shy away from taking this responsibility.”
The governor said the emergency team will remain on site, noting that the area is still unsafe, with shops and buildings within a 100-metre radius ordered to remain closed until further notice.
