Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has called for a coroner’s inquest into the tragic Afriland Tower fire that claimed ten lives on 16 September 2025, at Broad Street, Lagos Island.
In a formal petition addressed to the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, dated 29 September 2025, Falana requested an official inquiry to determine the cause and circumstances of the fatalities.
The human rights lawyer said the victims – four officials of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and six employees of United Capital Plc – were trapped in the six-storey building after it was engulfed by thick smoke during the fire outbreak.
Signed by Taiwo E. Olawanle on behalf of Falana’s chambers, the letter emphasised that the incident was avoidable and fell within the purview of Section 15 of the Lagos State Coroner’s Law, 2007, which mandates an inquest in cases of violent, unnatural, or suspicious deaths.
Falana urged the Chief Coroner to use his good offices to ensure justice for the deceased and to make recommendations that could help prevent similar tragedies in the future.