Victims
By Fabian Ekeruche/Florence Onuegbu
Lagos, Jan. 7, 2026 (NAN) Rev. Fr. William Omatu, whose three brothers (Stephen, 40; Casmir, 39 and Collins, 37) died in the Great Nigeria Insurance House fire, has condemned the emergency response toward the incident.
Omatu condemned the response during the Service of Songs and Requiem Mass held for Stephen, Casmir and Collins Omatu at Jesus The Saviour Catholic Church, Bucknor, Ejigbo on Wednesday night.
He alleged that there was inadequate water supply and delayed rescue efforts during the multi-day incident in Lagos.
Omatu said his three brothers were trapped in the 22-storey building as family members pleaded for urgent help from responders at the scene.
He alleged that firefighters arrived with limited water and were unable to sustain operations, leaving trapped victims without meaningful assistance, in spite of repeated appeals from distressed relatives outside the building.
According to him, the incident began on Dec. 24, and stretched for several days, with families expressing frustration over insufficient and slow emergency intervention.
Also speaking, another Catholic cleric, Rev. Fr. Steve-Greg Chekwube, urged architects, builders and landlords to provide emergency exits and safety features in buildings, to prevent avoidable deaths during disasters.
Chekwube said that every building should make room for escape routes in emergencies, noting that life remained more precious than property or structures.
He told mourners that, for Christians, death was a passage to eternal life, and an inevitable reality that no one could escape.
According to him, the tragic death of the three brothers, though painful, should strengthen faith and hope in God.
The Rev. Fr. prayed for the repose of the deceased and comfort for all affected families, declaring that such incidents should not reoccur.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve), a major fire broke out at the Great Nigeria Insurance House — a high-rise building located at 47/57 Martins Street, Lagos Island, at about 5.00 p.m.
Emergency response teams including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire & Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, Nigerian Police, Red Cross and other responders were deployed to the scene.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the blaze originated on the 4th floor of the building — reportedly in an apartment or office, and rapidly spread upward to at least the 6th floor and beyond, escalating into a full-blown inferno before firefighters could contain it.
The fire also affected adjacent structures, including a nearby mosque and some parts of the Oluwole Plaza.
Eight people were confirmed dead in the incident, including three brothers (the Omatu brothers), whose burial have been scheduled for Jan. 14.
A surviving twin, Camillus Omatu, was said to have narrowly escaped the incident. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
FBO/FON/VIV
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Edited by Vivian Ihechu