A massive fire have erupted on Christmas Eve at the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island, more than 10 hours after it began.
Reports gathered that the blaze, which started around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, spread to at least four adjacent buildings, causing widespread damage in one of the city’s busiest commercial hubs.
The fire reportedly originated on the fourth or fifth floor of the high-rise, which is primarily used as a warehouse for clothing, before escalating to other floors.
Video footage from the scene, shared by the NTA Network on Thursday, showed thick plumes of smoke engulfing the structure, with bright orange flames bursting from multiple floors and debris littering the streets below.
According to NTA, “More than 10 hours after the inferno that engulfed the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House located on Martins Street, Lagos Island.
“Flames emanating from the building can still be seen from a distance, while residents and business owners assess the extent of their losses. Many people in the area have been unable to sleep. At least four buildings, including a church and a mosque, have been affected by the fire.”
Officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) later confirm to have contained the fire.
In an update issued on December 25, Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, director general at LASEMA, detailed that the inferno, which began on December 24 and spread to adjacent structures, including a mosque and Oluwole Plaza, has been brought under control.
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“The fire has now been contained by the combined efforts of responders at the scene,” the update reads.
“The inferno that spread to the mosque has been brought under control. The Oluwole Plaza has now been largely salvaged and the fire also extinguished.”
He said preliminary investigations showed that the blaze originated from an apartment on the fourth floor before rapidly escalating to the sixth floor and beyond.
“Preliminary investigation conducted by the Shark Response Team revealed that the fire started from one of the apartments on the 4th floor and quickly gained momentum to other parts of the floor, currently escalated upwards to the 6th floor with rapid upward momentum within the 22 storey building,” the statement added.
Oke-Osanyintolu said seven adult males sustained various degrees of burn injuries and received immediate medical attention from paramedics before being transferred to nearby hospitals.
He added that three males and two females were treated on-site for smoke inhalation and later released
The DG said most goods and stalls in the affected section of Oluwole Plaza were salvaged, while the seven-storey Radio Nigeria building opposite the Great Nigeria Insurance House was safely extinguished, with dampening operations continuing.
“Seven adult males suffered various degrees of burns injuries as a result of the inferno and have been attended by the Agencies Paramedics and taken to nearby hospitals for further medical,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged residents to remain calm following the incident
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, stated in a press release on Thursday that no casualties were recorded, while the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained
Omotoso said the governor, who had been personally monitoring the situation since it was reported, immediately directed the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service to intensify response efforts and ensure the evacuation of adjoining buildings.
According to him, the distress call was received at about 4:41 p.m., prompting an immediate response from fire crews at the Ebute Elefun and Dolphin fire stations, with reinforcement from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station and the Alausa headquarters.
“The firefighters arrived at the scene within 12 minutes, at about 4:53 p.m., and commenced coordinated containment operations,” he said.
He added that preliminary reports indicated the fire started from the fifth floor of the building before spreading to other levels.
The commissioner explained that the affected structure, which was formerly used as corporate office space, currently serves mainly as a warehouse and retail outlet for clothing materials.
Omotoso stated that the governor maintained constant communication with emergency responders and security agencies throughout the early hours of the morning.
“As `at` about 3:40 a.m., when the fire had largely been brought under control, the governor was still receiving updates and issuing directives.
“Our priority is the safety of lives; I have directed that the building and its surroundings be thoroughly secured, and that emergency personnel must ensure that no one is left inside,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu also commended firefighters and first responders for their swift and courageous response, assuring Lagosians that the situation was under control.
“Lagosians should remain calm; the situation is under control,” he said.
Omotoso added that security agencies had been deployed to cordon off the area, while first responders continued safety assessments to prevent any secondary incidents. He assured residents that the Lagos State Government remained fully on top of the situation and would provide further updates as necessary.