Grief and anger filled the air on Wednesday night as family, friends and parishioners gathered in Ejigbo, Lagos, to mourn three siblings lost in the devastating Great Nigeria Insurance House fire, with sharp criticism directed at the emergency response to the tragedy.
Rev. Fr. William Omatu, whose brothers Stephen (40), Casmir (39) and Collins (37) died in the inferno, strongly condemned the handling of the incident, describing the response as slow, inadequate and distressing for families of those trapped inside the building.
He spoke during the Service of Songs and Requiem Mass held at Jesus The Saviour Catholic Church, Bucknor, Ejigbo.
Omatu said his brothers were among several victims trapped inside the 22-storey building for hours as the fire raged, while relatives desperately pleaded with emergency responders for urgent intervention.
He alleged that firefighters arrived with insufficient water and lacked the capacity to sustain rescue operations throughout the prolonged incident.
He stated that despite repeated appeals from distraught family members at the scene, meaningful rescue efforts were limited, leaving those trapped inside the building without help.
Omatu added that the fire, which started on Dec. 24, persisted for days, further deepening the anguish of families who watched helplessly as rescue efforts stalled.
The Catholic priest described the experience as traumatic, stressing that the absence of adequate water supply and delayed response worsened the situation and contributed to the loss of lives.
Also speaking during the funeral rites, another Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Steve-Greg Chekwube, called on architects, builders and property owners to prioritise safety in building designs.
He urged the inclusion of functional emergency exits and other safety features to prevent avoidable deaths during disasters.
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Chekwube said buildings must be designed with human life in mind, noting that escape routes during emergencies were essential and should never be sacrificed for aesthetics or profit.
He stressed that no structure or property was more valuable than human life.
Addressing the congregation, the cleric reflected on the Christian understanding of death, describing it as an inevitable passage to eternal life.
He said that while the loss of the three brothers was deeply painful, it should serve as a reminder to strengthen faith and trust in God.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for comfort for their family and others affected by the tragedy, adding that lessons must be learned to ensure such incidents do not occur again.
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New Agency of Nigeria reported that the fire broke out on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at about 5.00 p.m. at the Great Nigeria Insurance House, a high-rise building located at 47/57 Martins Street, Lagos Island.
Emergency agencies, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Federal Fire Service, Nigerian Police, Red Cross and other responders, were deployed to the scene.
Preliminary findings showed that the fire started on the fourth floor of the building, believed to be from an apartment or office, and quickly spread to higher floors, engulfing the structure in a major inferno before it was brought under control.
The blaze also spread to nearby structures, damaging a mosque and parts of the Oluwole Plaza.
Eight people were confirmed dead in the incident, including the three Omatu brothers. Their burial has been scheduled for Jan. 14. A surviving twin, Camillus Omatu, was reported to have narrowly escaped the fire.
NAN
