The death toll from a ferocious fire that ravaged Afriland Towers, a six-storey commercial hub on Broad Street in Lagos Island, climbed to 10 on September 18, 2025, with six additional victims from United Capital Plc confirmed deceased, joining four Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) staff lost in the blaze that erupted two days earlier.

The inferno, which broke out around 1:30 p.m. on September 16 in the basement inverter room, sent thick smoke billowing through the structure, trapping occupants on upper floors housing FIRS, United Bank for Africa (UBA), and United Capital.

Emergency responders, including the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and Federal Fire Service, evacuated 11 people, resuscitated five, and rushed others to hospitals, but the rapid spread overwhelmed initial efforts.

Videos circulating online captured desperate scenes of workers leaping from windows and bystanders aiding rescues with ladders. Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service Director Margaret Adeseye confirmed the fatalities in a statement, noting all were adults—male and female—amid ongoing investigations.

United Capital's announcement detailed the loss of six colleagues, describing them as "an integral part of our company and family," and pledged support for grieving relatives alongside plans for a memorial service. FIRS earlier identified its victims as Assistant Directors Ekelikhostse George and David Sunday-Jatto, Senior Manager Nkem Onyemelukwe, and Manager Peter Ifaranmaye; Jatto was reportedly handing over duties before a transfer when the fire struck.

President Bola Tinubu, in a statement by aide Bayo Onanuga, extended condolences to affected families, Afriland Properties Limited, FIRS, UBA, and United Capital, praising responders' "deep sense of responsibility" and urging enhanced training to prevent recurrences. He prayed for the souls of the departed and swift recovery for the injured.

Labour Party's Peter Obi labeled it "deeply heartbreaking," condoling with families, firms, and nearby Mandilas Market traders whose stalls were also gutted. Obi highlighted the dual toll on lives and livelihoods.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), through Acting President Adewale Adeyanju, decried the "needless loss" as symptomatic of governmental neglect, faulting absent hydrants, faulty equipment, and lax enforcement. The union demanded immediate probes into the fire's cause, accountability for negligence, compensation for victims' kin, and nationwide workplace safety audits with penalties for violators. "Nigerian lives are not cheap," it stated, linking the blaze to endemic market fires and calling for robust safeguards.