Our Reporter, Abuja
Emergency response failures took center stage on Wednesday as grieving family members, friends, and sympathisers gathered to bury three brothers—Stephen Onyeka Omatu, Casmir Nnabuike Omatu, and Collins Kenechukwu Omatu—who died in the devastating fire at the Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building in Lagos.
The tragedy has reignited national outrage over the absence and inefficiency of emergency services, after it emerged that the young men were trapped in the burning building and sent repeated distress calls for help, with no rescue forthcoming. Their bodies were recovered several days later from the rubble, deepening public anger over what many have described as a systemic failure at a critical moment.
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, who attended the burial, described the incident as a “heartbreaking and avoidable tragedy,” stressing that the brothers’ deaths were not only a loss to their family but to the nation as a whole.
“For days, these young men cried out for help while trapped in the building, yet there were no emergency services to rescue them,” Obi said.
“Several days passed before their bodies were recovered—days of unanswered calls and a system that failed them when they needed it most.”
Obi said the incident underscored the urgent need to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency response architecture, noting that no citizen should be left without help in moments of life-and-death crisis.
“This is not just a personal loss; it is a national loss,” he said.
“Our emergency services must be improved and made accessible to every citizen. Every life matters, and no Nigerian should ever be abandoned to perish where timely intervention could have saved lives.”
The GNI building fire had sparked widespread condemnation, with calls from civil society groups and the public for accountability, improved fire safety enforcement, and faster, better-coordinated emergency response systems across the country.
As the brothers were committed to the earth, Obi prayed for the repose of their souls and for strength for the bereaved family, urging Nigerians and authorities alike to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.
“May we never forget them,” he said, “and may their deaths move us to build a system that truly protects the lives of our people.”
