The management of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, has announced the death of four staff members in the fire incident at Afriland Towers in Lagos Island on Tuesday.
The deceased staff members were working at one of the two FIRS offices housed on the sixth and seventh floors of the towers when the tragedy struck on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS chairman, Dare Adekanmbi, gave the names of the affected staff as Ekelikhostse George, Assistant Director; David Sunday-Jatto, assistant director; Nkem Onyemelukwe, senior manager, and Peter Ifaranmaye, manager.
The statement read: “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, on Tuesday.
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“FIRS is one of the tenants occupying the Towers with our Medium Tax Audit and Onikan Emerging Tax Office housed on the sixth and seventh floors.
“Our Security and Safety officials quickly mobilized and contacted the fire service as soon as they were alerted. On getting to the scene, thick dark smoke was already billowing out of the building.
“The management and entire staff members are in deep shock and sorrow over the development. They offer their condolences to the grieving families and 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.”
The FIRS further stated that it was working in collaboration with all relevant agencies in Lagos to get to the root cause of the fire incident, adding that “while this is going on, we will be reviewing safety measures across FIRS offices in both rented and owned buildings nationwide.”
Chairman of Heirs Holdings and United Bank for Africa, UBA, Tony Elumelu, has confirmed that some employees of Heirs Holdings were among those who died in Tuesday’s fire outbreak at Afriland Towers, Lagos Island.
The six-storey building on Broad Street also houses a UBA branch and offices of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS.
In a statement to staff dated Wednesday, September 17, Elumelu described the incident as devastating, noting that no words could capture the grief of the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased.
“I am shattered by yesterday’s devastating incident at Afriland Towers that took the lives of our dear colleagues. No words can capture the magnitude of this loss… Yesterday was a stark reminder of what truly matters: our irreplaceable people,” he wrote.
Elumelu disclosed that he cut short his trip to the United States, where he was scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly, to return to Lagos in honor of the victims. He directed all Heirs Holdings companies to observe a minute of silence on Wednesday, pledged support to the affected families, and announced plans for a memorial service in the coming days.
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