Tragedy struck the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on Tuesday as four of its senior staff members were confirmed dead in the inferno that gutted Afriland Towers on Broad Street, Lagos.
The victims — Mrs Ekelikhostse George (Assistant Director), Mr David Sunday-Jatto (Assistant Director), Mrs Nkem Onyemelukwe (Senior Manager), and Mr Peter Ifaranmaye (Manager) — were trapped on the sixth and seventh floors of the high-rise where two FIRS offices operate.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS Chairman, Dare Adekanmbi, described the incident as a devastating loss for the service.
“It is with a heavy heart that FIRS announces the tragic loss of four of its staff members during the fire incident at Afriland Towers, Broad Street, Lagos,” the statement read.
“The management and entire staff are in deep shock and sorrow. We are in touch with the families of our departed colleagues whose commitment to excellence, dedication and professionalism were never in doubt. We will provide all the necessary support at this trying time.”
Adekanmbi explained that the service’s security personnel had immediately contacted the fire service upon noticing the outbreak, but by the time first responders arrived, “thick dark smoke was already billowing out of the building.”
The Chairman of the FIRS, Zacch Adedeji, also assured that the service would collaborate with relevant Lagos agencies to establish the cause of the fire and prevent a recurrence.
“We are working in collaboration with all relevant agencies in Lagos to get to the root cause of the unfortunate incident. While this is ongoing, we will be reviewing safety measures across FIRS offices in both rented and owned buildings nationwide,” he stated.
The Afriland Towers blaze has once again raised safety concerns over fire preparedness in Nigeria’s commercial capital, where several office buildings remain vulnerable to electrical faults and emergency lapses.
Authorities in Lagos have yet to issue a detailed report on the cause of the fire as investigations continue.
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