Lagos govt announces demolition of fire-damaged GNI building

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to demolish the fire-damaged Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building on Lagos Island, warning residents and motorists to keep away from the area during the operation.

The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, announced the plan in a statement on Wednesday.

He said access to the area would be restricted during the exercise and that temporary traffic diversions might be introduced. He urged motorists to use alternative routes and advised residents to obey instructions from emergency responders and traffic officials.

The planned demolition follows a fire that gutted the building on Martins Street on 24 December 2025, killing 12 people, according to an earlier report by PREMIUM TIMES.

The federal government, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), deployed heavy-duty equipment provided by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to assist ongoing recovery operations at the site.

NEMA described the multi-agency effort as complex due to the precarious condition of the building.

“Significant progress has been recorded with the controlled removal of debris and recovery of four bodies,” the agency said.

Recovery operations were coordinated by NEMA alongside CCECC, with supervision from LASEMA, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and other stakeholders.

The agency stated that the recovered bodies have been documented and handed over to the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SHEMU) for forensic identification and dignified handling.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu subsequently ordered the building’s demolition following concerns about the safety of the fire-damaged structure.

Speaking at the site, the governor confirmed five victims had been identified while three remained unaccounted for as of that time. He said emergency responders continued to search the debris to ensure no one remained trapped.

The governor announced the closure of nearby markets, restricting access to first responders only, and described the tragedy as a reminder of the risks posed by unsafe practices around commercial structures, including improper generator use and shops built close to electricity transformers.

He pledged to personally oversee the recovery process and stressed that surrounding structures may also be removed to prevent further hazards.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the fire started on the fourth floor of the building and spread to adjoining structures and nearby shops, leading to a partial collapse estimated at seven floors. Eight males, including a firefighter, were rescued with varying degrees of injuries, while three males and two females with minor injuries were treated and discharged at the scene.

Mr Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA would work with other government agencies to coordinate safety measures during the exercise. However, Wednesday’s statement did not specify when the demolition would begin.