The Lagos State Government has introduced plans to demolish the fire-damaged Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building on Lagos Island, warning residents and motorists to stay away from the realm through the operation.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, introduced the plan in a press release on Wednesday.
He mentioned entry to the realm can be restricted through the train and that non permanent visitors diversions could be launched. He urged motorists to make use of various routes and suggested residents to obey directions from emergency responders and visitors officers.
The deliberate demolition follows a hearth that gutted the building on Martins Street on 24 December 2025, killing 12 folks, based on an earlier report by PREMIUM TIMES.
The federal authorities, by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), deployed heavy-duty tools offered by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to help ongoing restoration operations on the website.
NEMA described the multi-agency effort as complicated because of the precarious situation of the building.
“Significant progress has been recorded with the controlled removal of debris and recovery of four bodies,” the company mentioned.
Recovery operations had been coordinated by NEMA alongside CCECC, with supervision from LASEMA, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and different stakeholders.
The company said that the recovered our bodies have been documented and handed over to the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SHEMU) for forensic identification and dignified dealing with.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu subsequently ordered the building’s demolition following considerations concerning the security of the fire-damaged construction.
Speaking on the website, the governor confirmed 5 victims had been recognized whereas three remained unaccounted for as of that point. He mentioned emergency responders continued to go looking the particles to make sure nobody remained trapped.
The governor introduced the closure of close by markets, limiting entry to first responders solely, and described the tragedy as a reminder of the dangers posed by unsafe practices round industrial constructions, together with improper generator use and outlets constructed near electrical energy transformers.
He pledged to personally oversee the restoration course of and pressured that surrounding constructions may additionally be eliminated to forestall additional hazards.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the fireplace began on the fourth ground of the building and unfold to adjoining constructions and close by outlets, resulting in a partial collapse estimated at seven flooring. Eight males, together with a firefighter, had been rescued with various levels of accidents, whereas three males and two females with minor accidents had been handled and discharged on the scene.
Mr Oke-Osanyintolu mentioned LASEMA would work with different authorities companies to coordinate security measures through the train. However, Wednesday’s assertion didn’t specify when the demolition would start.
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