Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has described the deaths of three siblings who perished in the Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building fire in Lagos as a national tragedy and a damning indictment of Nigeria’s emergency response system.
Obi made the remarks after attending the burial of Stephen Onyeka Omatu, Casmir Nnabuike Omatu, and Collins Kenechukwu Omatu, the three brothers whose lives were lost in the inferno.
Describing the ceremony as deeply emotional and heartbreaking, Obi said the circumstances surrounding the young men’s deaths revealed a painful failure of the system meant to protect citizens in moments of distress.
“Yesterday, I attended a deeply emotional and heartbreaking burial of three siblings, Stephen Onyeka Omatu, Casmir Nnabuike Omatu, and Collins Kenechukwu Omatu, whose lives were cruelly cut short in the Great Nigeria Insurance building fire in Lagos,” Obi said.
He lamented that the victims had reportedly sent repeated distress calls while trapped inside the burning building, but no emergency service arrived in time to rescue them.
“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 in the rubble before their bodies were finally recovered,” he stated.
According to Obi, the tragedy goes beyond the pain of one family and represents a collective national loss.
“This is not just a personal loss for their family; it is a national loss. It is a reminder that our emergency services must be improved and made accessible to every citizen,” he said.
He warned that Nigeria cannot continue to operate a system where citizens are abandoned in life-threatening situations that could be prevented with timely intervention.
“We cannot continue like this. Every life matters, and no Nigerian should ever be left to perish in such a gruesome way when help could have been provided,” Obi stressed.
The former Anambra State governor offered prayers for the departed brothers and words of comfort to their grieving family, urging Nigerians not to allow the tragedy fade without meaningful change.
“I pray that the souls of Steve, Casmir, and Collins find eternal rest, and that God grants their family the courage, strength, and comfort to bear this unimaginable grief,” he said.
Obi concluded by calling for collective resolve to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies, adding, “May we never forget them, and may we be moved to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.”
