Anambra Community Weeps as Three Siblings Who Died in Lagos Fire Are Buried

Anambra Community Weeps as Three Siblings Who Died in Lagos Fire Are Buried

Tears flowed freely on Wednesday in Uzoakwa community, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, as the remains of three brothers who died in a tragic Lagos fire incident were laid to rest amid grief and anguish.

The deceased siblings — Stephen Onyeka Omatu, Casmir Nnabuike Omatu, and Collins Kenechukwu Omatu — lost their lives in the devastating inferno that engulfed the Great Nigeria Insurance Building in Lagos, a tragedy that reignited national outrage over Nigeria’s emergency response system.

Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, who attended the burial, described the deaths as avoidable, blaming them on persistent systemic failure and weak emergency and rescue services in the country.

In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, Obi said the young men were trapped in the building for days, repeatedly sending distress calls that went unanswered.

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“Yesterday, I attended a deeply emotional and heartbreaking burial of three siblings, Stephen Onyeka Omatu, Casmir Nnabuike Omatu, and Collins Kenechukwu Omatu — three young brothers whose lives were cruelly cut short in the Great Nigeria Insurance building fire in Lagos,” Obi wrote.

He lamented that despite their desperate pleas for help, no effective emergency response came to their rescue.

“For days, these young men sent distressing pleas for help while trapped in the building, yet there were no emergency services to rescue them. Several days passed before their bodies were recovered — days of unanswered calls, of a system that failed them at the moment they needed it most,” he said.

According to Obi, the incident transcends the pain of one family and represents a national tragedy that exposes deep institutional weaknesses.

“This is not just a personal loss for their family; it is a national loss. Our emergency services must be improved and made accessible to every citizen. We cannot continue like this. Every life matters,” he stressed.

The former governor urged authorities to treat the incident as a wake-up call, warning that Nigerians should not continue to die in preventable circumstances due to institutional neglect.

“No Nigerian should ever be left to perish in such a gruesome way when help could have been provided,” Obi added.

He also offered prayers for the repose of the brothers’ souls and strength for their bereaved family.

“I pray that the souls of Steve, Casmir and Collins find eternal rest, and that God grants their family the strength to bear this unimaginable grief. May we never forget them, and may we be moved to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.”

Anambra Community Weeps as Three Siblings Who Died in Lagos Fire Are Buried