Fire service to roll out nationwide task force on safety after Afriland Towers incident

The federal fire service (FFS) says it will roll out a nationwide task force on safety compliance, following the September 16 conflagration at Afriland Towers on Broad Street, Lagos Island.

On Tuesday, fire broke out at the six-storey building hosting a branch of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), United Capital Plc and other businesses.

Samuel Olumode, controller-general of the FFS, said in a statement on Thursday that “in a decisive move to prevent a recurrence, the Service will roll out a nationwide Task Force on Fire Safety Compliance to audit public and private buildings, enforce safety standards, sanction non-compliance, train facility managers and staff, and strengthen collaboration with regulatory agencies”.

He noted public concern over the incident and welcomed calls for stricter enforcement of safety rules.

“It is not enough to install fire safety equipment, but essential to maintain it, ensure functionality and train staff,” he said.

The controller-general said an investigation team has been deployed to establish the causes of the incident, review safety systems and check compliance with fire safety regulations.

Olumode said the findings of the team will be made public and recommendations implemented without delay.

The service urged facility owners and managers to review safety readiness, secure inverter and generator rooms, unblock exit pathways, ensure alarms are functional and train staff.

The public was also advised to observe safety protocols, report non-compliance, and cooperate with inspections.

On Wednesday, the FIRS announced that four of its staff died in the incident.

On Thursday, United Capital, a pan-African financial services institution, announced the death of six of its employees in the fire.