Afriland tower tragedy: Survivors tell horrific tales of Lagos highrise inferno

In the heart of Lagos Island’s bustling Broad Street, the Afriland Tower stands as a gleaming symbol of financial prowess.

The glassy seven-storey building houses offices of the United Bank for Africa, Federal Inland Revenue Service, and United Capital Plc, among others.

But on Tuesday afternoon, it transformed into a suffocating death trap.

A fire that began innocuously in the basement inverter room around 1pm spiraled into a catastrophe and claimed 10 lives, with many more injured.

As the smoke billowed and panic ensued, survivors like Adewale and Kachi found themselves fighting for every breath.

Adewale, a soft-spoken office worker on the fifth floor, recalls the moment the ordinary workday turned nightmarish.

“We just noticed the light tripped off, and it was taking unusually long to come back on,” he said.

He spoke to Saturday PUNCH outside Avon Medical Hospital in Surulere, where he sought treatment for smoke inhalation.

According to him, power outages in the tower were usually brief, most times resolved by the building’s inverters.

But this time, over 20 minutes passed without power being restored.

“Everybody became apprehensive, and suddenly we started seeing thick smoke. That was when everybody started running.”

Improvising in the chaos, Adewale said he soaked his tie in water and pressed it to his face like a makeshift mask.

Visibility dropped to zero as the fumes filled the corridors.

“The smoke was so thick that we could not see anything,” he added.

“I think it was just the grace of God that I was able to come out. Inside the thick smoke, I just followed one person and was able to make it to the ground floor.”

He suspected that the victims perished near the basement entrance, where the fire originated, blocking their path.

“The people who died were those who passed through the basement. The fire started in the inverter room close to the entry, and that was why some people could not come out,” he added.

On the second floor, Kachi experienced a similar terror.

He first spotted the smoke while heading downstairs, but it wasn’t yet overwhelming.

While racing back up to alert colleagues, he returned to find the area engulfed.

“Before I returned, the whole place had been covered with thick smoke.”

While struggling to breathe, he said he shouted for help as others clambered toward broken windows.

“I almost passed out because I couldn’t breathe. We couldn’t go through the main entrance because it was almost impossible to see the road. People started struggling to pass through the window. I became very tired. How I came out was only God.”

Aside from Avon Medical Hospital, Saturday PUNCH gathered that other victims were admitted to the Lagos Island General Hospital and St. Nicholas Hospital.

An official of the general hospital confirmed that some of the injured were brought there for treatment.

“Most of them have been discharged, while others are still under medical care. The situation was chaotic, but many lives were saved because of the swift response of the people,” he added.

Also, an official of St. Nicholas Hospital, Campbell Street, confirmed that some of the injured were admitted to the facility.

He declined further comment.

Tributes as friends, families mourn 10 victims

Two of the occupants of Afriland Tower, Federal Inland Revenue Service, and United Capital Plc, were plunged into mourning following the loss of 10 staff members.

For the FIRS, the tragedy claimed four personnel who were on duty when the fire started.

They were identified as George Faith Ekelikhostse, David Sunday-Jatto, Nkem Onyemelukwe, and Peter Ifaranmaye.

Ekelikhoste, 58, who rose to the position of Assistant Director, served the agency for 32 years. Sunday-Jatto, another Assistant Director, had put in 15 years of service before his death.

A Facebook user, Halima Mohammed, described Sunday-Jatto as a kind man who was devoted to his family.

She noted that he had a daughter, Nicole, and fondly referred to him as “Daddy Nicole.”

Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, Mohammed added, “Mr Jatto did not have any problems. Whenever he was around, we felt his presence. He was a man full of life and very humble. Death really took a rare gem.”

Ifaranmaye, 48, a Manager at the FIRS, had worked for nine years before his passing.

Similarly, Mrs Onyemelukwe, a 55-year-old Senior Manager, had served for 13 years before her death.

Odozie Aku, an Instagram user, claimed the deceased was her aunt.

She wrote, “I lost my aunty to this mishap… left home for work and never returned. So tragic and hard to bear. Thirteen years of dedicated work taken away by people’s negligence in just a twinkle of an eye. That inverter was due for maintenance, but they kept pushing it until it became disastrous. God will judge.”

Olumide: Dead a day to birthday, buried two days later’

Saturday PUNCH identified three of the UCP workers as Jesutoni Shodipo (21), Opeyemi Oloyede (28) and Kehinde Adeoye (36). They all worked in the compliance department.

Others are Olumide Oyefodunrin (26) and Ndidi Osaemedike-Okeke (41), workers in the Trustees department, and Rebecca Adenuga (28), who was in the Wealth Management department.

A legal practitioner, Janet Ologunde, mourned Osaemedike-Okeke and Oyefodunrin.

Ologunde, who is the Principal Partner at Ireoluwa Chambers, expressed her grief in a Facebook post, describing the news as devastating.

She said she had watched Oyefodunrin grow up in Ebute-Metta, noting that he was hardworking, respectful, and humble.

The lawyer further disclosed that his birthday was only a day away when he died.

@Punch