Tony Elumelu mourns colleagues who died in Afriland Towers fire incident, cuts short UN trip

The Chairman of the United Bank for Africa Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu, has expressed sorrow over the Tuesday’s tragic fire at Afriland Towers, Lagos Island, which claimed the lives of staff members of the group.

In a statement, Elumelu described the incident as a devastating loss that words could hardly capture.

“No words can capture the magnitude of this loss, not for their families who loved them, not for the friends who valued them, and not for those of us who worked beside them,” he stated.

Elumelu, who was en route to New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), announced that he had cut short his trip to return to Lagos in honor of the departed.

The billionaire philanthropist urged staff to support one another and reach out to those directly affected. He further disclosed that memorial events would be held in the coming days to honour the memories of the lost colleagues while offering support to their families.

As part of tributes, a minute’s silence was observed across all Heirs Holdings group companies at 12noon on Wednesday.

Investigations into the cause of the fire, which started in the inverter room of Afriland Towers, are ongoing.

The Chairman’s statement reads;

I am shattered by yesterday’s devastating incident at Afriland Towers that took the lives of our dear colleagues.

No words can capture the magnitude of this loss — not for their families who loved them, not for the friends who valued them, and not for those of us who worked beside them.

Yesterday was a stark reminder of what truly matters: our irreplaceable people, those who walk through our doors each day and share our mission.

I learnt of this on my way to the US, enroute to New York for UNGA. I have cut short my trip to return to Lagos as a mark of respect to our lost colleagues.

As we navigate this grief, I urge you all to reach out to those who are receiving care.

In the coming days, we will convene colleagues in a memorial to honour the memories of the departed, as we provide support to their families.

I also want to thank all those who supported in one way or the other, from emergency responders and first aid workers to members of the public who showed courage and compassion.

A minute’s silence will be observed today at12:00 noon, WAT, across all our group companies.

May this never happen again in our Group. May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.